Elections, May 2006

The Voting Booth

The Voting Booth

TNPer
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Attention all Regional Assembly Members:​
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The Election Season is once again fast approaching, and it is time for everyone to decide if they would like to run for a position. We desperately need people to run this time around, and I would strongly encourage everyone who is eligible to consider.

How do I know if I can run for a post?

In order to run for any Cabinet-Level Position (listed below), you must meet all the following requirements:

1) Be approved for membership in the Regional Assembly on or before March 29th. (You may not declare candidacy until one month after your acceptance)
2) If you were inactive for a period of three weeks or more during the last election term, you must have been active for at least one week before declaring candidacy.
3) Your TNP-listed nation MUST be within The North Pacific or on active duty for the North Pacific Army or North Pacific Intelligence Agency (subject to approval of the Minister of Defence or Director of the NPIA or Prime Minister).
4) If running for Delegate or Vice Delegate, your UN-listed nation MUST be in TNP and a non-member or inactive member of the North Pacific Army.

Any Regional Assembly Member may run for a seat on the Security Council or Court of the North Pacific.

What offices can I run for?

The Offices available for election and the duties involved are as follows:

Prime Minister
- Cabinet-Level Position
- Head of The North Pacific Government.
- Presides in Cabinet Proceedings.
- Appoints Director of The North Pacific Inteligence Agency
- Enforces Constitution and Legal Code as needed.
- Required to serve as Election Commissioner if not running for elected office.

Minister of Immigration and Internal Affairs
- Cabinet-Level Position
- Required to appoint Deputy within one week of election.
- Welcomes and aids new members.
- Largely responsible for Regional Security.
- Oversees Regional Assembly Membership.
- Required to serve as Election Commissioner if not running for elected office.

Minister of External Affairs
- Cabinet-Level Position
- Required to appoint Deputy within one week of election.
- Maintains relations with other regions.
- Oversees Diplomatic Corps.

Minister of Defense
- Cabinet-Level Position
- Required to appoint Deputy within one week of election.
- Oversees the North Pacific Army and other military branches as appropriate.
- Largely responsible for Regional Security.

Attorney General, or Minister of Justice
- Cabinet-Level Position
- Required to appoint Deputy within one week of election.
- Chief prosecuting officer of The North Pacific Government.

Minister of Communications
- Cabinet-Level Position
- Required to appoint Deputy within one week of election.
- Moderates debates on regional issues
- Publishes Regional Reports on activities within TNP

Minister of Arts and Entertainment
- Cabinet-Level Position
- Required to appoint Deputy within one week of election.
- Moderates "OOC" forums and entertainment activities

Minister of Culture and Education
- Cabinet-Level Position
- Required to appoint Deputy within one week of election.
- Editor-in-Chief of The North Pacific Wire.
- Advances regional culture.

Security Council
- Five to Seven seats available (10% of RA at start of nominations, not less than 5 - will be determined then)
- Must be available within 24 hours notice in event of emergency.
- Most responsible for Regional Security.
- May authorize bannings without trial.
- Nations may be on the Security Council and hold other government positions simultaneously.

Court Justice
This office serves six-month terms, and is not currently available for election.

When can I apply for candidacy?

Nominations for all elected positions may begin on April 23rd (GMT), and will end April 29th (GMT). Any late or early nominations will not be accepted. On April 30th, all candidates will be confirmed by Ministry of Immigration and Internal Affairs official records, and those candidates meeting all criteria will be placed on the ballot.

When does voting begin?

Voting will commence at 12:00:00 AM on May 1st, Greenwich Meridian Time, and continue until 11:59:59 PM on May 7th, Greenwich Meridian Time. Late or early ballots will not be accepted. Only those nations who were accepted as members of the Regional Assembly ON OR BEFORE 11:59:59 PM, APRIL 30th, GMT will be permitted to vote. Those nations who are members of the RA but are not eligible to vote will not be issued Regional Assembly permissions until after elections and any run-offs have been closed, verified, and confirmed.

Ballots may be cast by posting in the public voting topics, or by sending a Private Message to this account within the alloted time.

If anyone has any questions concerning the elections, please contact Hersfold via PM, or post in this topic. Please do not PM this account, as you will probably not recieve a response in time for elections.

Hersfold Edit: Oops, got some dates wrong. All better now.
 
What is the current policy on how many terms in one year you may serve? I don't believe I'm eligable for any cabinet-level position because I have served twice since last August, though not twice in a row. Is this correct?

And does this affect if I can run for the Security Council?
 
@ Ator:

According to the current version of the Constitution as posted in the Constitution/Legal Code forum, a currently-serving Minister is ineligible for election to another Cabinet-Level position if:

1) This is their second consecutive term in office
2) This is their second term over a 12-month period
3) This is their fourth term over a 24-month period

A term counts as any period lasting more than half of an election cycle. If a deputy is promoted to Minister status within a month and a half of the Minister's election, that is a full term. Since you have served two terms in the last year, you are ineligible for Cabinet elections. Security Council seats are unrestricted and anyone may run for those.

Recieved via PM:
What is the procedure for nominations? May members nominate themselves? Does a nomination require seconding? Does the candidate have to accept the nomination?
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This Sunday, I (as The Voting Booth) will open a nomination topic. Any Regional Assembly member may nominate any other Regional Assembly member, including themselves, to a position(s). A nomination does not require seconding, however you will tend to see people give seconds and even thirds anyway. A candidate must show acceptance to be included on the ballot (Note: There's actually nothing written about this, but I'm not going to chance electing someone who doesn't want to be elected.)
 
it is Carops.. *hands Carops popcorn and soda*

EDIT: btw Hersfold, all the big red text are hurting my eyes. Other than dates, the previous one is better.
 
*Munches on Cinema food, while giving Harmoneia an election cake*

So, does TNP have political "factions" as such? Or is it voting for the individual?
 
@ Ator: I'll answer yours anyway. No, a Deputy is neither a Cabinet-Level position nor an elected post. Deputies are chosen by the Ministers within a week of the closing of elections, and take over for the Minister in the event they are absent for a time or are completely removed from office.

@ Haor: Yes and no. Anyone who wants to run for Minister of Defense must be a current member of the North Pacific Army (or North Pacific Auxillary Army, since we do seem to have one). Before they can be added to the ballot, they must recieve majority support of the nations in the NPA/NPAA. Then they are voted on just as any other Minister. I'll be working with Dalimbar about the details there.

@ NH: :P

@ Carops: For a short period of time, there was an attempt at forming political parties, but interest in that kind of died fairly quickly. As far as I am aware, there are no currently active political groups, and voting is done completely by the individual.
 
Grenval:
Do you people not read your own Constitution?
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But it's so long and confusing. :no:

Yes, I have read the constitution a few times. I was merely trying to save myself some time by asking someone whose job it is to know election/constitution minutiae. Perhaps in the future you could rein in your disbelief that people don't have the constitution memorized and hold yourself from posting if you don't have anything productive to post?
 
Democratic Donkeys:
Grenval:
Do you people not read your own Constitution?
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But it's so long and confusing. :no:

Yes, I have read the constitution a few times. I was merely trying to save myself some time by asking someone whose job it is to know election/constitution minutiae. Perhaps in the future you could rein in your disbelief that people don't have the constitution memorized and hold yourself from posting if you don't have anything productive to post?
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I edited my post within seconds, before you posted the quotation as a matter of fact, for a reason.

But no, I doubt anything I ever post will be productive. It's not my style.
 
Sort of. It has the requirements of a Cabinet Level position (plus UN membership), but they do not get a vote in Cabinet discussions.
 
If I recall, they are considered a "deputy" of sorts to the delegate.

Are they bound by the term limits (only x terms in x months) as cabinet level positions?
 
Yes. All offices serve three-month terms, except for Court Justices, which are not currently up for election as a result of that.
 
All of the provisions that govern elections (except for a reference to the Speaker and the process for the Security Council) are in two places: Article III Section 1 of the Constitution and TNP Law 5 on election procedures.

The provision on term limits is in Article III section 3 of the Constitution. The provision about the Speaker is in Article IV Section 1 Clause D, and the election of the Security Council is included in Article IV Section 9.

That's it. Folks don't have to read all of the Constitution, just three specific parts; and only one of the laws.

Court justices, by the way aren't elected; their appointment however is subject to the approval of the regional assembly membership.
 
Is VD held as a cabinet level position with regards to term limits?! I think this is important as if it is Tresville is ineligible to run this time around as he has served 2 terms in the last 12 months!!
 
Poltsamaa:
Is VD held as a cabinet level position with regards to term limits?! I think this is important as if it is Tresville is ineligible to run this time around as he has served 2 terms in the last 12 months!!
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As of now, it has been a kind of grey area. While the Vice Del is not excluded from Cabinet in the Constitution, current customs and conventions has said that no they are not. Meaning they have no vote in cabinet but are allowed to view discussion. As for term limits, I think we should continue the custom of not viewing any Delegate related position as a part of cabinet.
 
I hate to double post but yeah, that's my true opinion mined from my legal knowledge but if you feel that the Vice Del has been unfairly persecuted (though Delegacy like positions have been purposely excluded from the Cabinet due to our rogue delegate issues...) you can petition (don't forget to include one about how I'm undeserving of my job also) and I will prosecute it. But it could lead to a slippery slope that would allow Dels and Vice Dels back into political decisions (if the court says so against the stated beliefs of the Constitution.)
 
In my individual personal opinion:

First, the Constitution is explicit that the Delegate has no vote in Cabinet actions.

As to the Vice Delegate and term limits, they do not apply unless the Vice Delegate, as the deputy for the Delegate, has to act as Delegate for more than half of the term. (Just as it would be for a deputy of a Minister who acts for the Minister for more than half the term.)

Since in this instance, Tresville did not act as Delegate at all during this term, his term as Vice Delegate does not apply under term limits:

6) For purposes of this Constitution, "Cabinet-level position" is construed to refer to the UN Delegate for the Region, any UN Vice Delegate who has acted as UN Delegate for the Region for more than half of an elected term of office, the Prime Minister, any Cabinet Minister of the Regional Government, any deputy Cabinet Minister who has acted as a Minister for more than half of an elected term of office, or the Attorney General.
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Since it has been two election cycles since Tresville was last elected to a Cabinet-level position, in my individual personal opinion, he is eligible to run in this election (and for that matter in the next election cycle as well.)
 
AlHoma:
When do we get results??
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When I'm done counting them. :P

My best guess is sometime Monday evening. Even then, I probably have to get Flem to come in and verify everything, so chances are nothing will be "official" until Tuesday.

- Hersfold
 
I know not of this "Excel" magic of which you speak. But I stand by with my abacus to count and verify as required.
 
I've finished my count, good old Abacus style, and am currently waiting for Flem to check my numbers before I post the results.

It does appear, however, that we will be having at least one run-off election. Goody goody gumdrops. :eyeroll:
 
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