NEW, IMPROVED, AND SQUEAKY-CLEAN: ATLASIAN FUTURE PARTY

[Anna Komnene]

I humbly request the endorsement of the Atlasian Future Party. When Lumine and I ran together in 2018, we had a platform plank on scientific innovation and the space program called "looking to the stars" - I'm still just as passionate about it today. Watching the Endeavour crew fly to the space station the other day was very moving. (And that little dragon they had was really cute). I think my fav. space moment was when we got pictures of Pluto. Before then, all we could really do was imagine what it looked like. The moment I saw the first pictures was mindblowing. Imagination became reality. Plus I think geologists learned a lot from the discoveries on the photos too. I'd say Atlasia would be a lot more interesting with more scientific centered legislation.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Requesting Endorsement for the next Lincoln Governor Election

[RC (a la Frémont)]

I will also request a couple of endorsements for House and for Lincoln Governor.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

The endorsement window has closed. Voting members may vote to endorse a candidate, or give no endorsement. Voting ends on June 12th.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

For President/Vice President
[] Pericles/Sestak
[] Siren/Muaddib

• NO ENDORSEMENT

I think both candidates make extremely compelling arguments from our party’s perspective. As such it makes sense to not favor one over the other. Remember that my own personal perspective is different.

For Governor of Lincoln
[1]ReaganClinton
[2]Wulfric
[] NO ENDORSEMENT

For House
[1]ReaganClinton
[] NO ENDORSEMENT

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

With all votes tallied (including 1 late vote) the results are

NO ENDORSEMENT for President/Vice President

ReaganClinton for Governor of Lincoln

ReaganClinton for House of Representatives

It's time for the next convention location. Each member can nominate 2 locations, and something new: non-voting observers can also nominate one location. Nominations will end on the 15th.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

Nominating Mobile, Alabama and Arnold, Nebraska.

[Dr. MB]

I'm signing in as an observer and I'm nominating Swains Atoll, Atlasian Samoa

[S019]

I requested observer status a while ago, so I'll sign in as an observer (also my endorsement request was forgotten). I will nominate Aurora, CO and Leesburg, VA.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

I requested observer status a while ago, so I'll sign in as an observer (also my endorsement request was forgotten). I will nominate Aurora, CO and Leesburg, VA.

You requested before the endorsement period was open.

[Mike Thick]

Signing in as observer. Nominating Liberal, Kansas

[West_Midlander]

Nominating Micro, NC

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

I'm signing in as an observer and I'm nominating Swains Atoll, Atlasian Samoa

as chair I will have to deny this nomination, we do not wish to take sides in an active territorial dispute

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

Submission period for convention locations is over. As S019 is only an observer I’m using RNG to determine which of his submissions shall be on the ballot. The ballot will be privately shared with all attending registered party members. Voting ends in 24 hours

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

Convention Location

[1] Mobile, AL
[2] Liberal, KS
[3] Arnold, NE
[4] Micro, NC
[5] Aurora, CO

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

with all votes tallied, the next convention location will be in Mobile, Alabama.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

As you can see, we are all practicing social distancing

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jstephenconn/6016881832, with Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0) License, which allows sharing and editing for non-commercial use.

Thank you all for attending! If any candidates wish to give acceptance speeches, they may do so. We'll see you in Mobile! (with my own pictures, hopefully)

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

SUMMER 2020 VISION

WB speaks to a packed* crowd** of supporters in his hometown about his plans to make the AFP a major party by the end of the Summer
*packed is a subjective term
**3 is a crowd and there are at least 3 living things in this picture

Hello Atlasia! I'm here today to talk about my plans for this party going forward.

To make it very short, I'm aiming to get the AFP into Major Party status by the end of this summer. I'll be personally recruiting members, and this week I will write a set of bylaws that will govern how this party functions, because let's be fair, the past 2/3 Conventions were just me pretending there were rules.

Some important notes are that there will be a vetting process for members, but this is simply a democratic vote held by the voting members.  This helps ensure that the party remains democratic, but also makes sure that certain people don't try and hijack the party, making it into a satellite of one of the big parties.

We won't lose our original vision of scientific advancement, the future is now. Our vision means a better, brighter Atlasia, and I hope to lead our vision to victory.

Thank you.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

As Chair of the Atlasian Future Party, I'm calling for an Emergency Convention to vote on bylaws. This convention begins in 24 HOURS! In the great town of Arnold, Nebraska (Originally was going to be Liberal, KS because they were runners up, but the current tensions in the area make such a convention potentially dangerous)

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

x weatherboy

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

WELCOME TO ARNOLD, NEBRASKA

Arnold, Nebraska Arnold Ave face E 1
Ammodramus / CC0

As this emergency convention only has one goal, we'll get right into it. I'm giving all voting delegates until 12:01 AM, 6/29/20 to make proposals for bylaws.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

I introduce the following bylaws:

I. DEFINITION OF TERMS
a. "Party Member" is defined as any registered member of the Atlasian Future Party, regardless if they have voting rights or not.
b. "Voting Member" is defined as any member of the Atlasian Future Party who has been approved to be given Voting Member status by the Party.

II. CREATION & AMENDMENT OF PARTY BY-LAWS

1. Any Party Member may introduce changes to the by-laws. Changes shall be presented and discussed during the allotted time slot at the Convention.

a. All by-laws or by-law amendments must have at least 24 hours of debate. Additional time may be allotted if deemed necessary by at least 1/3 of the Voting Members at the convention or 2/3 of the Party Leadership.
b. All by-law amendments or new bylaws will be voted on immediately after the debate period has ended. The voting period will take place to approve or reject the by-laws or by-law amendments. This voting period will be 48 hours in length, or until all Voting Members have voted.

III. PROCESS FOR RECEIVING VOTING MEMBER STATUS

1. In order to prevent massive subversion by persons with malicious intention, a separate "Voting Member" status must be obtained to vote on important business.
2. All Party Members, upon first registration, are assumed to be applying for Voting Member status.

a. Upon a Party Member's application for Voting Member status, all current Voting Members will be PM'ed by the Chair with a simple yes or no ballot containing the question "Shall [NAME] receive Voting Member status?"
b. The voting period for Voting Member status votes shall last 24 hours.
c. A vote succeeds if over 50% of ballots returned state yes, assuming that over 1/3 of Voting Members vote. If neither of the above criteria is satisfied, the vote fails.
d. The voting list will be publicly available after each vote.

3. A Party Member who has lost a previous Voting Member status vote may request a new vote no less than 2 weeks after the previous vote ended.


IV: ESTABLISHMENT & MANAGEMENT OF CONVENTIONS

1. The Atlasian Future Party Convention shall begin three weeks before the Atlasian Presidential Election.

2. Establishing the next Atlasian Party Convention shall employ the following process: Each Party Member is given 24 hours to nominate one city for the next Convention. Party Members will be given 24 hours to select their choice.

3. Each Atlasian Future Party Convention will have the following agenda:
a. Updates and amendments of the Party by-laws
b. Updates and amendments of the Party platform
c. Endorsements for the upcoming Atlasia Federal Elections and subsequent-month regional elections d. Special and irregular business put forward by the Party Leadership
e. Establishment of the date and city for the upcoming Convention
f. Election of new party leadership

4. The schedule of the convention shall be as follows:

(Note: "-4" refers to the Friday 4 weeks before the beginning of the election, "-3" 3 weeks before and so on.)


-4: Convention opens, sign-in. Work on and edits to the bylaw and platform through the week.
-3: Bylaw/Platform work and other business, and campaigning for endorsements.
-2: Presidential primary begins, to last three days.
-2: Downballot endorsement primary begins, to last three days.
-1: Party Leadership election period begins, conducted in accordance with Article V.
0: Federal election begins.
0: New leadership takes office at the start of the day.
0: Campaign for endorsements in following-month elections.
1: Endorsement primary for following-month elections, to last three days.
2: Convention must close by this date.

V. ELECTION OF THE PARTY LEADERSHIP

1. Members will have 48 hours to declare that they wish to seek the following positions, beginning on the second Friday in February, June and October: Chair, Vice Chair, & General Secretary. There will then be 72 hours for campaigning, followed by a 48 hour election.

2. In the event of resignation or vacancy of the Chair position, the Vice Chair shall immediately assume the role on an interim basis. A special declaration period, campaigning period & subsequent election shall be held beginning on the first Friday at least 168 hours from the time of the Chair vacancy, with the same time-frames for each period as outlined in V-1.

3. In the event of resignation or vacancy of the Vice Chair or General Secretary positions, the Chair shall appoint Atlasian Future Party Members to these offices for the remainder of their terms. If no Members are available, the office shall remain vacant, and their duties shall be temporarily inherited by the Chair

VI. ROLES OF THE PARTY LEADERSHIP

1. Chair
a. The official leader of the Atlasian Future Party, unless there is an Atlasian Future Party President
b. Is in charge of the Convention process
c. Officiates Party voting
d. Gives the Vice Chair and the General Secretary goals and objectives for their given jobs
e. Is in charge of Party political strategy
f. Ensures insubordination by other Members of the Party Leadership is handled within the caucus
h. Is in charge of GOTV operations for both the Party and allied factions, which includes supporters not officially registered with the Party

2. Vice Chair
a. Takes over for the Chair temporarily if the Chair requests a leave of absence or has been absent for 72 hours
b. Is in charge of Party recruitment in order to grow the Party
c. Responsible for keeping up with business at the Federal and regional levels, and makes sure that the Atlasian Future Party has an official stance on each issue; this will be done in collaboration with the rest of the Party Leadership and the advice of the Party
d. Deals with logistics and personnel

3. General Secretary
a. Takes over for the Chairman or Vice Chair if either the Chair and Vice Chair both have requested a leave of absence or both have been absent for 72 hours
b. Is in charge of candidate recruitment for all levels of government
c. Serves as a Congressional Whip, working with Members of Congress to find common ground and support for bills proposed by the Party

VII. ENDORSEMENT PROCEDURE

1. Endorsement elections will take place two (2) weeks before the respective election. Voting will last 72 hours.  An additional primary for elections during the subsequent inauguration month shall take place beginning one week after the beginning of the Federal Election.

2. The Party may endorse candidates from any parties who agree with the Party's principles and values, allowing our Party to endorse a maximum number of candidates, equivalent to the number of open seats in an election.

3. In order to be eligible to receive the Endorsement of the Atlasian Future Party, the non-Party candidate(s) must declare that he or she wishes to receive our Party’s Endorsement during the Endorsement suggestion period, which begins three weeks before the election and ends two weeks before the election.

4. Endorsement voting will begin immediately following the Endorsement Suggestion Period and will last for 72 hours. Votes for each candidate shall be cast and counted either as an affirmative, negative, or abstention. An abstention ballot is counted against a candidate's affirmative percentage as it applies in Section VII-5.

5. A candidate must receive affirmative preference from at least 50% of all Endorsement Ballots cast in order to receive the Endorsement of the Party. In the event there are more candidates with 50%+ affirmative preference than available Endorsements, they will be awarded from highest percentage affirmative preference downward. In the event of a tie in affirmative preference percentages between 2 or more candidates, the candidate or candidates who declared their intent to receive the Party's Endorsement first shall receive the Endorsement.

VIII. PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY PROCEDURE

1. Primaries for the Presidential Election will take place two (2) weeks before the election. Voting will last for 72 hours.
 
2. In Presidential Elections, all Atlasian Future Party candidates are automatically endorsed by the Party, except for the following situation in which there will be a Atlasian Future Party Primary:
a. There are multiple tickets containing an Atlasian Future Party member
 
3. The loser(s) of a Primary are strongly encouraged not to run as an independent, as doing so will result in a loss of position within the Party Leadership, a denial of access to Atlasian Future primaries and the Endorsement of the Party in the subsequent two (2) Federal elections.

IX. VOTING

1. Only Voting Members of the Party may vote on Bylaws changes, Platform changes, Presidential Primaries, Endorsements, Party Leadership elections, and expulsions.

2. Voting in an Atlasian Future Party Convention, Primary, Endorsement, Party Leader election, or expulsion will proceed in the following manner:
 
a. Voters shall mark their ballot with an “X” in the case of single-choice elections, and shall rank their preferences in the case of multiple-choice elections
b. In the event of a tie, a runoff election shall be held 24 hours following the end of the election, and shall last for 48 hours
c. In the event there is a tie in a runoff, the person with the highest number of [1] preferences shall be the winner.
d. In the case of by-law and platform amendments, at least 1/3 of all Voting Members must vote for the vote to be considered valid. Should less than 1/3 of all Voting Members vote, the amendment fails regardless of the composition of the votes.

X. MEMBERSHIP AND EXPULSION

1. Party Members whose actions are judged inappropriate or unbecoming of the Party may be subject to expulsion, initiated by a motion consisting of three (3) Voting Members or two (2) Members of the Party Leadership.

2. A simple majority of those Voting Members voting in favor of expulsion shall be sufficient to expel a Member, assuming the total number of Members voting in favor of and against expulsion is at least one-quarter (25%) of the Party's Membership.

3. Party Members who have been expelled will not be considered for endorsements for two (2) months, and will not be allowed to request voting member status for two (2) months.

XI. CREATION & AMENDMENT OF PARTY PLATFORM

1. The Party Leadership will have the initial task of creating the party platform and will be in charge of initial changes in subsequent Conventions. The platform shall then be presented to the Members, who will then be allowed to make objections and suggest changes to the platform.

a. All platform amendments must have at least 24 hours of debate. Additional time may be allotted if deemed necessary by at least 1/3 of the voting members at the convention or 2/3 of the Party Leadership.
b. All platform amendments will be voted on immediately after the debate period has ended. The voting period will take place to approve or reject the platform amendments. This voting period will be 48 hours in length, or until all Voting Members have voted.

2. Outside the Convention, changes to the platform shall be presented and discussed in a place designated by the Chair. They shall subsequently be approved or rejected by Voting Members according to the procedures set forth in Section XI-1.

The PM system for Voting Member status is simply to avoid clogging up the board with constant votes should a surge in registration occur. I don't think there's anything I missed, though if anyone would like to inform me of something I missed, it would be greatly appreciated.


I do realize that the Voting Member system makes this seem like it'll be cultish, but once again, this is a democratic process simply meant to be a basic defense against sudden malcontent influences.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

Minor Amendment to the bylaws

III. PROCESS FOR RECEIVING VOTING MEMBER STATUS

1. In order to prevent massive subversion by persons with malicious intention, a separate "Voting Member" status must be obtained to vote on important business.
2. All Party Members, upon first registration, are assumed to be applying for Voting Member status.
3. A Party Member who wishes to reapply for Voting Member status must simply ask the Chair though a Personal Message to be considered.

a. Upon a Party Member's application for Voting Member status, all current Voting Members will be PM'ed by the Chair with a simple yes or no ballot containing the question "Shall [NAME] receive Voting Member status?"
b. The voting period for Voting Member status votes shall last 24 hours.
c. A vote succeeds if over 50% of ballots returned state yes, assuming that over 1/3 of Voting Members vote. If neither of the above criteria is satisfied, the vote fails.
d. The voting list will be publicly available after each vote.

3. 4. A Party Member who has lost a previous Voting Member status vote may request a new vote no less than 2 weeks after the previous vote ended.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

A little bit late, but the voting period on the bylaws begins now.

[GM Team Member and Senator WB]

Aye