FT 13.10 – Universal Suffrage Act (Awaiting signature)

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

AN ACT
to maximize citizen participation in state elections

Section 1 (Title & definitions)
i. The title of this Act shall be, the "Universal Suffrage Act."
ii. As used in this legislation, "non-apparent citizen" shall refer exclusively to non-playable characters, who by the constitutions and laws of Atlasia and the Commonwealth of Frémont, are citizens of Frémont and the state or territory in which they reside; and shall not be taken to refer to any person eligible to vote in federal and regional elections by virtue of their registration with the Census Bureau.

Section 2 (Automatic voter registration)
i. Every non-apparent citizen of Frémont, on attaining the age of sixteen, shall be automatically enrolled as a registered voter of the state or territory in which they reside.
ii. Every new non-apparent citizen of a state being sixteen years of age or older, and not being a registered voter of the state in which they reside, shall be eligible for enrollment from the moment of their actual residence in that state.
(a) New non-apparent citizens may cause themselves to be enrolled by submitting the date of their actual residence and two articles of documentary evidence giving their name and current address to the ministry of elections.

Section 3 (Calendar for state and municipal elections)
i. Effective 1 January 2020, all regular state (or territorial) and municipal elections in Frémont shall be on the first day of November, in the year in which those elections would have proceeded had this Act never been made.
ii. Effective 1 January 2020, the filing deadline for all state (or territorial) and municipal elections in Frémont shall be sixty-one days before the election.

Section 4 (Vote-By-Mail)
i. Every state and external territory of Frémont shall institute statewide Vote-By-Mail for all state and municipal elections on or before 1 July 2020.
(a) For elections scheduled to take place between 1 July 2020 and 1 July 2022, all non-apparent citizens shall have the option to vote by mail.
(b) After 1 July 2022, all state and municipal elections shall be conducted exclusively by mail.
ii. No sooner than sixty days before the election, and no later than thirty days before, the ministry of elections will send to every non-apparent citizen an envelope prominently labeled: "CONTAINS ELECTION MATERIALS." The envelope will include
(a) a blank ballot,
(b) a form to update voter registration,
(c) instructions to vote by mail and update voter registration;
(d) a postage-paid envelope to return the completed ballot and voter registration form.
iii. All ballots postmarked on or before the date of the election will be accepted.
iv. Any eligible non-apparent citizen may request a new envelope on or before the day of the election in the event the original was not delivered, was incomplete, or was damaged.
v. A state may elect to implement digital Vote-By-Mail in addition to the provisions described by §3(ii) and §3(iii) above, or instead of the regionally-prescribed Vote-By-Mail system with the approval of the Frémont Ministry of Elections.

Sponsor: Harry S Truman, MFP

The member from North Dakota has the floor.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

This bill would reform elections for state and local office by establishing automatic voter registration in all eighteen states and three territories of the Commonwealth and mandating the use of Vote-By-Mail for these elections, to be gradually phased in over the next three years. Both these innovations will improve voter participation by eliminating many of the practical that prevent otherwise-engaged citizens from voting, thereby strengthening the democratic integrity of our institutions.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

<cough>

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Okay, then . . . I move for a vote. And it had better be unanimous, too, if no-one is going to comment during debate.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Using North Carolina as an example of how a system is vulnerable to corruption is not the best argument, considering North Carolina has managed to corrupt basically every version of democracy in use on this continent. I am open to hearing how we could strengthen VBM to prevent fraud, however.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

I certainly agree with regard to paper ballots, which this system would preserve (and in some cases where states have transitioned to electronic voting machines, reintroduce). While VBM has weaknesses, the same is true of in-person voting: if you hit a pothole, run out of gas, or get caught in traffic on election day, you can be disenfranchised the same as if your ballot was lost in the mail. I'd be open to marking election materials as certified mail or extending the time between the delivery of ballots and the election to prevent the latter occasion; but ultimately, any system is going to have some potential for error. We're inclined to see that potential more strongly in VBM and less in in-person voting because VBM is new and we're used to (and thus more comfortable with the flaws of) in-person voting. Especially in the plains states and areas like Alaska that are sparsely populated and traveling to a voting booth to cast a ballot may be impractical, I expect VBM to enfranchise more people purposefully than it may disenfranchise accidentally —and there are more opportunities in an extended voting period such as this bill proposes to correct the latter in time than in an in-person system. I wouldn't be opposed to letting people hand-deliver their ballots at their county court-house, FTR.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Offering an amendment:

AN ACT
to maximize citizen participation in state elections

Section 1 (Title & definitions)
i. The title of this Act shall be, the "Universal Suffrage Act."
ii. As used in this legislation, "non-apparent citizen" shall refer exclusively to non-playable characters, who by the constitutions and laws of Atlasia and the Commonwealth of Frémont, are citizens of Frémont and the state or territory in which they reside; and shall not be taken to refer to any person eligible to vote in federal and regional elections by virtue of their registration with the Census Bureau.

Section 2 (Automatic voter registration)
i. Every non-apparent citizen of Frémont, on attaining the age of sixteen, shall be automatically enrolled as a registered voter of the state or territory in which they reside.
ii. Every new non-apparent citizen of a state being sixteen years of age or older, and not being a registered voter of the state in which they reside, shall be eligible for enrollment from the moment of their actual residence in that state.
(a) New non-apparent citizens may cause themselves to be enrolled by submitting the date of their actual residence and two articles of documentary evidence giving their name and current address to the ministry of elections.

Section 3 (Calendar for state and municipal elections)
i. Effective 1 January 2020, all regular state (or territorial) and municipal elections in Frémont shall be on the first day of November, in the year in which those elections would have proceeded had this Act never been made.
ii. Effective 1 January 2020, the filing deadline for all state (or territorial) and municipal elections in Frémont shall be sixty-one days before the election.

Section 4 (Vote-By-Mail)
i. Every state and external territory of Frémont shall institute statewide Vote-By-Mail for all state and municipal elections on or before 1 July 2020.
(a) For elections scheduled to take place between 1 July 2020 and 1 July 2022, all non-apparent citizens shall have the option to vote by mail.
(b) After 1 July 2022, all state and municipal elections shall be conducted exclusively by mail.
ii. No sooner than sixty days before the election, and no later than thirty days before, the ministry of elections will send to every non-apparent citizen an envelope prominently labeled: "CONTAINS ELECTION MATERIALS." The envelope will include
(a) a blank ballot,
(b) a form to update voter registration,
(c) instructions to vote by mail and update voter registration;
(d) a postage-paid envelope to return the completed ballot and voter registration form.
iii. All ballots postmarked on or before the date of the election will be accepted.
iv. Any eligible non-apparent citizen may request a new envelope on or before the day of the election in the event the original was not delivered, was incomplete, or was damaged.
v. A state may elect to implement digital Vote-By-Mail in addition to the provisions described by §3(ii) and §3(iii) above, or instead of the regionally-prescribed Vote-By-Mail system with the approval of the Frémont Ministry of Elections.
vi. All election materials will be sent via certified mail. All ballots must be returned either by certified mail, or in person to the relevant municipal office.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

The amendment is adopted.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

I move for a vote.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Seeing no objection, we proceed to a vote. Members will vote Aye, Nay, or abstain. Voting will last 48 hours or until all members have voted.


Aye.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

With two members in favor, one opposed, and two not voting, the resolution carries.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

AN ACT
to maximize citizen participation in state elections

Section 1 (Title & definitions)
i. The title of this Act shall be, the "Universal Suffrage Act."
ii. As used in this legislation, "non-apparent citizen" shall refer exclusively to non-playable characters, who by the constitutions and laws of Atlasia and the Commonwealth of Frémont, are citizens of Frémont and the state or territory in which they reside; and shall not be taken to refer to any person eligible to vote in federal and regional elections by virtue of their registration with the Census Bureau.

Section 2 (Automatic voter registration)
i. Every non-apparent citizen of Frémont, on attaining the age of sixteen, shall be automatically enrolled as a registered voter of the state or territory in which they reside.
ii. Every new non-apparent citizen of a state being sixteen years of age or older, and not being a registered voter of the state in which they reside, shall be eligible for enrollment from the moment of their actual residence in that state.
(a) New non-apparent citizens may cause themselves to be enrolled by submitting the date of their actual residence and two articles of documentary evidence giving their name and current address to the ministry of elections.

Section 3 (Calendar for state and municipal elections)
i. Effective 1 January 2020, all regular state (or territorial) and municipal elections in Frémont shall be on the first day of November, in the year in which those elections would have proceeded had this Act never been made.
ii. Effective 1 January 2020, the filing deadline for all state (or territorial) and municipal elections in Frémont shall be sixty-one days before the election.

Section 4 (Vote-By-Mail)
i. Every state and external territory of Frémont shall institute statewide Vote-By-Mail for all state and municipal elections on or before 1 July 2020.
(a) For elections scheduled to take place between 1 July 2020 and 1 July 2022, all non-apparent citizens shall have the option to vote by mail.
(b) After 1 July 2022, all state and municipal elections shall be conducted exclusively by mail.
ii. No sooner than sixty days before the election, and no later than thirty days before, the ministry of elections will send to every non-apparent citizen an envelope prominently labeled: "CONTAINS ELECTION MATERIALS." The envelope will include
(a) a blank ballot,
(b) a form to update voter registration,
(c) instructions to vote by mail and update voter registration;
(d) a postage-paid envelope to return the completed ballot and voter registration form.
iii. All ballots postmarked on or before the date of the election will be accepted.
iv. Any eligible non-apparent citizen may request a new envelope on or before the day of the election in the event the original was not delivered, was incomplete, or was damaged.
v. A state may elect to implement digital Vote-By-Mail in addition to the provisions described by §3(ii) and §3(iii) above, or instead of the regionally-prescribed Vote-By-Mail system with the approval of the Frémont Ministry of Elections.
vi. All election materials will be sent via certified mail. All ballots must be returned either by certified mail, or in person to the relevant municipal office.