BE IT ENACTED BY THE MAGISTERIUM OF THE EAST PACIFIC:
SECTION I- TITLE
…1.1- This act shall be known and cited as the “Delegate Elections Act”.
SECTION II- DEFINITIONS
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SECTION III- GENERAL PROCEDURES
…3.1- The East Pacific Election Commission (“The Commission”) shall be the body responsible for conducting all Delegate elections. Any aspects of its organization and procedure not explicitly prescribed by regional this law or not pertaining to the process of Delegate elections are to be determined by the Viceroy.
…3.2- A Delegate election shall consist of two periods: a) a nomination period and b) a voting period.
…3.3- Nominations of candidates for a Regular Election shall begin two weeks before the end of a Delegate’s four-month term, and shall last for a period of one week.
……3.3.1- Nominations for Delegate elections must be held in a designated forum thread created by the Viceroy.
…3.4- Any citizen may nominate another citizen and/or him- or herselthemselves to run as a candidate for the following elections for that nomination period.
……3.4.1- Self-nominations require a second nomination by another citizen for the self-nominee to be considered a candidate.
…3.5- Voting shall begin the moment nominations are closed and last for a period of one week.
……3.5.1- Voting shall be conducted in a designated forum thread created by the Viceroy (that is separate from the nomination forum thread).
…3.6- Only citizens who have verified voter registration following relevant law may vote during the voting period.
…3.7- Results of a voting period shall be released within three days after the closure of the vote.
……3.7.1- Write-ins will not be counted. Any votes containing a write-in will be considered an abstention unless said votes contain a vote for an approved candidate in which case only the vote for any approved candidates will be counted.
…3.9 - The first post within the nomination and voting forum threads shall host nomination and voting instructions, respectively. Other information deemed relevant by the Commission may be added to the threads as necessary.
…3.10- Within 24 hours of the start of the nomination period and the voting period, the Commission shall send out a regional telegram detailing instructions for nominating candidates and voting, respectively. Other information deemed relevant by the Commission may be added as necessary.
SECTION IV- VOTING PROCEDURES
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…4.11- Vote results shall be announced within the voting thread and by in-game regional telegram 24 hours after forum announcement.
SECTION V- CAMPAIGNING
…5.1- Wherever the record of the current version of this Act is stored, therein shall lie directly beneath an Annex titled “Annex I: Designated Campaign Platforms”. Said Annex shall contain all campaign events and platforms explicitly allowed for delegate election campaigning.
…5.1.1- The Delegate Election subforum shall be included as a campaign platforms in the Annex.
…5.1.2- All campaigning must remain within the platforms and events as stated in the Annex and, if applicable, the regulations stated by this law.
…5.2- Anytime that is not within two weeks of nominations or during elections, the Viceroy may propose additional platforms and events to be included the Annex or changes (including specifications) to already existing platforms and events. The Magisterium must approve said updates via majority vote for said updates to take effect. Removal of such additional items shall follow the same process.
…5.3- For forum campaigning, every candidate may make one campaign thread in which to post their campaign. Citizens may ask questions within each candidate’s respective thread. This thread shall be made in the subforums designated in the Annex.
…5.3.1- Only candidates may create a campaign thread. All non-candidate campaign threads will be archived.
…5.4- Within the voting instructions sent in the regional telegram and the voting instructions on the forum, the Viceroy shall link to the forum campaign thread of each candidate, if one exists.
…5.1 - Two weeks before the opening of nominations, The Viceroy must submit to the Magisterium the platforms and events which shall be designated for campaigning. The Magisterium must then approve the platforms and events by majority vote.
…5.2- All campaigning must be contained within the platforms and events approved by the Magisterium.
……5.2.1 - Platforms and events approved by the Magisterium from a previous election will stay as such unless the Viceroy submits a request for removal. The Magisterium must then approve the removal of the indicated platforms and events by majority vote.
……5.2.2- Only candidates may create a campaign thread, All non-candidate campaign threads will be archived.
…5.3- Any citizen may ask questions of candidates within each candidate’s respective campaign thread.
SECTION VI- INFRACTIONS
…6.1- Instances of electioneering and/or election impropriety shall be dealt with by the Viceroy with the recommendation by the East Pacific Electoral Commission, upon the referral of a complaint.
……6.1.1- A first offense of electioneering and/or election impropriety shall result in a warning.
……6.1.2- A second offense shall consist of the removal of voting privileges for the election during which the complaint was filed in, along with the next delegate election.
…6.1.3- Any further offenses shall consist of the removal of voting privileges and the ability to run as a candidate for one year.
…6.2- Instances of vote stacking or voter fraud shall result in permanent banishment from the East Pacific, pending trial by the Conclave.
SECTION VII- FAILURE TO CONDUCT PROCEDURE
…7.1- If at any point in this process the Election Commission is at least 48 hours late to deliver an action prescribed by this law, the responsibility for conducting Delegate Elections will be immediately transferred to the Viziers. The Viziers will choose from among themselves by consensus which Vizier(s) will see the election cycle completed in a timely fashion. No unforeseen delay(s) will shorten the amount of time allotted to a subsequent part of the process (see 3.3, 3.5, and 3.7).
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