Law 4 - Regional Elections

[Culture of Life]

LAW 4 - REGIONAL ELECTIONS
Enacted April 10, 2012

SECTION 1. At the beginning of the nominations period of each regional election, the Founder or his designee shall open a new topic on the offsite forums for qualified citizens to declare their candidacies, for citizens to encourage others to file such declarations, and for related purposes.

SECTION 2. After qualified citizens make official declarations of their candidacies, they are encouraged, though not required, to open one new forum topic each, where interested region members may ask them questions and where they may post answers.

SECTION 3. In each presidential election, a regional political party may nominate no more than one candidate. Second and subsequent candidates from the same party shall be listed on the ballot as independents, unless provided otherwise by this law.

SECTION 4. In each senatorial election, a regional political party may nominate no more than two candidates. Third and subsequent candidates from the same party shall be listed on the ballot as independents, unless provided otherwise by this law.

SECTION 5. The official nominees of a regional political party for a regional election, unless provided otherwise by this law, shall be party members who are chosen by primary election or, in the absence of a primary election, by the leading member of that party. In the absence of a primary election and in the absence of an appointment of official nominees by the party leader, the first qualified members of the party who file declarations of their candidacies in the official nominations topic shall be listed on the ballot as the party nominees.

SECTION 6. The ballot for a regional election shall list the candidates by their forum usernames in the order in which they filed their declarations of candidacy in the official nominations topic. Each candidate's forum username shall be followed by the party affiliation if that candidate is a party nominee or by the word "independent" if that candidate is not a party nominee.

SECTION 7. At the end of the ballot, voters shall be given the option "none of the above." Votes cast for "none of the above" shall be tallied and published, but they do not have value. "None of the above" cannot win a regional election even if it receives the most votes.

SECTION 8. If and only if a regional political party has no party members running in a regional election, the party leader may designate one candidate from outside the party to serve as its official nominee with his consent. This candidate, if he is not also the nominee of another party, shall be listed on the ballot under the party that is nominating him instead of being listed on the ballot as an independent.

SECTION 9. If a candidate is nominated in a regional election by two or more regional political parties, that candidate shall be listed on the ballot multiple times (once for each nomination that he has received). At the end of the voting period, all valid votes cast for that candidate with multiple nominations shall be added together and tallied as a whole.

SECTION 10. A vote in a regional election shall not be counted if the voter is:

a. A resident with World Assembly status who is not endorsing the President;
b. A member of a region or organization that the Senate has declared an enemy by an official enactment approved by the Founder, such as a declaration of war;
c. Demonstrably someone who is not pro-life on the abortion issue;
d. Using a proxy IP address to vote without a reasonable justification;
e. Serving a regional penal sentence for the entire duration of the voting period; or
f. Actively engaging in serious electoral misconduct, such as fraud.

Repealed June 15, 2012
Reenacted September 15, 2015
Amended May 17, 2016
Amended June 23, 2016
Amended August 24, 2016