S.20.4.5 - Stick It To The Man Act [VOTE]

[KoopaDaQuick 🇵🇸]

A BILL FOR AN ACT
allowing the Southern voter to cast a write-in vote using a sticker with candidate’s name on it

BE IT ENACTED BY THE SOUTHERN CHAMBER RESOLVED.

Section 1, TITLE AND CLARIFICATIONS.
1. The title of this Act shall be, the "Stick It To The Man Act."
2. This bill shall only apply to elections for offices with a write-in option.
3. This bill shall apply to all election precincts under the Southern Region’s authority, even if not for a regional office.

Section 2, TEXT.
1. On the write-in section of a paper ballot, the voter may affix a sticker on their ballot in said section indicating the candidate’s name.
2. If voting for a presidential ticket for president and vice president, this sticker may contain the names for both candidates on the ticket, although it is not required.
3. So long as the sticker is clearly legible, no vote counter in the Southern Region shall reject or delegitimize an election ballot on the sole basis of a write-in sticker being placed on it.
4. Due to the potential of causing paper jams or damage to election equipment, a precinct must place a clear warning on its ballot if votes are counted using ballot scanners.

Section 3, ENACTMENT CLAUSE.
1. This legislation shall take effect for all elections starting on or after the first day of March in 2021.

Sponsor: KoopaDaQuick (Peace - Arkansas)

Minimum 48 hours for debate.

[KoopaDaQuick 🇵🇸]

This bill makes it easier for write-in candidates to win votes in elections by not forcing their voters to arbitrarily remember how to spell their name. I don't know how to elaborate further, it's exactly as written on the tin. Keep in mind the fact that this will not affect how the in-game regional elections work from a practical standpoint, as it's hard to put a sticker on your computer screen and have it transmit on the other end.

I yield the floor.

[KoopaDaQuick 🇵🇸]

If one was to post an image in the voting booth, does that count?

If intent is clear, I don't see why not.

[KoopaDaQuick 🇵🇸]

Has there been any proven results of this working successfully in RL? Section 2, Clause 4 causes concern for me - we are basically admitting that this might cause equipment malfunction, so what happens in that case? The vast majority of ballots in the US are either electronic or scanned and I expect the number to only increase in the future. Is the vote just not counted? I'd rather err on the side of caution to ensure that every person's vote is counted.

Perhaps segregating the ballots based on whether or not they have stickers so that they can be counted manually, and also making sure that stickers are short enough to fit. Massachusetts, a state that has such laws in the real world, requires stickers to be certain dimensions to fit both the square on the ballot as well as to fit through the scanner. I'll try to work on an amendment to fix this issue.

[KoopaDaQuick 🇵🇸]

Has there been any proven results of this working successfully in RL? Section 2, Clause 4 causes concern for me - we are basically admitting that this might cause equipment malfunction, so what happens in that case? The vast majority of ballots in the US are either electronic or scanned and I expect the number to only increase in the future. Is the vote just not counted? I'd rather err on the side of caution to ensure that every person's vote is counted.

You go just go all Butlerian Jihad and just have them counted manually, rather than putting faith in machines.

This is seriously a good point, election machines are nothing but trouble, sticker or not. Should we just ban election machines?

[KoopaDaQuick 🇵🇸]

AYE