Department of Federal Elections: Homelycooking, SoFE

[homelycooking]

OFFICIAL RESULTS

AT-LARGE SENATE - Seats vacated by Polnut and 20RP12

QUOTA: 22

FIRST BALLOT

CLARENCE 18 (Pingvin, ZuWo, JCL, Franzl, BBF, MasterSanders, Clarence, TJ in Cleve, Junkie, Inks, Benconstine, A-Bob, Cathcon, Dereich, Jerseyrules, NCYankee, Simfan, Miles)
OAKVALE (write-in) 15 (Napoleon, Oakvale, Ebowed, bgwah, Averroes, Reginald, Badger, MOPolitico, Cincinnatus, Polnut, sbane, Pyrofox, Peeperkorn, DemHawk, Fuzzy)
EARLAW 15 (EarlAW, Seatown, Antonio V, AndrewCT, Fritz, Hawkeye, Dr Cynic, Snowstalker, Nathan, Lief, Smash, Sewer, Redalgo, nclib, RodPresident)
JBRASE (write-in) 13 (Jbrase, Wormyguy, Dallasfan, Ghost_white, Scott, 20RP12, Yelnoc, PiT, Sanchez, Shua, Giovanni, Winfield, Brandon H)
CINCINNATUS (write-in) 1 (Homelycooking)
OTHER (write-in) 2 (Lewis T, tmthforu94)
INVALID 1 (Republitarian)

SECOND BALLOT: Redistribution of other write-ins and Cincinnatus' vote

CLARENCE 19 (Pingvin, ZuWo, JCL, Franzl, BBF, MasterSanders, Clarence, TJ in Cleve, Junkie, Inks, Benconstine, A-Bob, Cathcon, Dereich, Jerseyrules, NCYankee, Simfan, Miles, tmthforu94)
OAKVALE (write-in) 16 (Napoleon, Oakvale, Ebowed, bgwah, Averroes, Reginald, Badger, MOPolitico, Cincinnatus, Polnut, sbane, Pyrofox, Peeperkorn, DemHawk, Fuzzy, Homely)
EARLAW 16 (EarlAW, Seatown, Antonio V, AndrewCT, Fritz, Hawkeye, Dr Cynic, Snowstalker, Nathan, Lief, Smash, Sewer, Redalgo, nclib, RodPresident, Lewis T)
JBRASE (write-in) 13 (Jbrase, Wormyguy, Dallasfan, Ghost_white, Scott, 20RP12, Yelnoc, PiT, Sanchez, Shua, Giovanni, Winfield, Brandon H)
INVALID 1 (Republitarian)

THIRD BALLOT: Redistribution of Jbrase's votes

CLARENCE 25 (Pingvin, ZuWo, JCL, Franzl, BBF, MasterSanders, Clarence, TJ in Cleve, Junkie, Inks, Benconstine, A-Bob, Cathcon, Dereich, Jerseyrules, NCYankee, Simfan, Miles, tmthforu94, Brandon H, Shua, Sanchez, Yelnoc, PiT, Jbrase) ELECTED

OAKVALE (write-in) 17 (Napoleon, Oakvale, Ebowed, bgwah, Averroes, Reginald, Badger, MOPolitico, Cincinnatus, Polnut, sbane, Pyrofox, Peeperkorn, DemHawk, Fuzzy, Homely, 20RP12)
EARLAW 17 (EarlAW, Seatown, Antonio V, AndrewCT, Fritz, Hawkeye, Dr Cynic, Snowstalker, Nathan, Lief, Smash, Sewer, Redalgo, nclib, RodPresident, Lewis T, Scott)
EXHAUSTED 5 (wormyguy, Dallasfan, Ghost_white, Winfield, Giovanni)
INVALID 1 (Republitarian)

FOURTH BALLOT: Redistribution of Clarence's surplus

OAKVALE (write-in) 17.84 (Napoleon, Oakvale, Ebowed, bgwah, Averroes, Reginald, Badger, MOPolitico, Cincinnatus, Polnut, sbane, Pyrofox, Peeperkorn, DemHawk, Fuzzy, Homely, 20RP12, Shua, tmthforu94, Franzl, Jerseyrules, NCYankee, Benconstine, Junkie) ELECTED WITHOUT QUOTA

EARLAW 17.48 (EarlAW, Seatown, Antonio V, AndrewCT, Fritz, Hawkeye, Dr Cynic, Snowstalker, Nathan, Lief, Smash, Sewer, Redalgo, nclib, RodPresident, Lewis T, Scott, Jbrase, Clarence, ZuWo, Pingvin)
EXHAUSTED 6.68 (wormyguy, Dallasfan, Ghost_white, Winfield, Giovanni, Sanchez, PiT, Yelnoc, Brandon H, Simfan, Inks, A-Bob, Cathcon, Dereich, JCL, BBF, Sanders, TJ, Miles)
INVALID 1 (Republitarian)

CLARENCE and OAKVALE are duly elected At-large Senators.

There was a total turnout of 65 votes, with 1 ballot paper being rejected.

I, Homelycooking, Secretary of Federal Elections, declare the above results to be a complete and accurate summary of the votes cast.

[homelycooking]

Senatorial Preferences by Party

Party	Clarence	Oakvale	EarlAW	Jbrase	Other	Total	Turnout %
Liberal Party		10	1	1		12	54.5%
Labor Party		2	9			11	61.1%
Whig Party	12					12	85.7%
Popular Liberty Party	1			7		8	66.7%
Imperial Bloc	2			2		4	50.0%
Moderate Party	1				1	3	50.0%
Ind./Other	2	3	5	3	2	15	26.8%
Total	18	15	15	13	3	65	47.8%

[homelycooking]

Senatorial Preferences by Region

Party	Clarence	Oakvale	EarlAW	Jbrase	Other	Total	Turnout %
Northeast Region	3	7	6	7	1	25	56.8%
Southeast Region	6	1		5		12	48.0%
Mideast Region	9	2	1	1	1	14	58.3%
Midwest Region		1	6		1	8	34.8%
Pacific Region		4	2			6	30.0%
Total	18	15	15	13	3	65	47.8%

[Vasall des Midas]

I would ask the Senate to clarify this language, from the CESRA:

In order for write-in votes for a candidate to qualify as countable votes, the person written-in must formally accept the write-in candidacy before the end of voting in the given election.

Is there any court case or law that defines "formal acceptance"? If this included writing oneself in, the language specifying "before the end of voting" would be redundant.

How so? You would still be allowed to accept write-ins that begun happening after you voted for somebody else... but you'd have to decide before the polls close.
I think taking a self-write-in (even at a low preference) as an acceptance of write-in votes is just precedent.

[homelycooking]

Luckily it did not cause a problem in this election, but in all subsequent elections, I will accept as valid all votes cast for write-in candidates who write their own names, unless the Senate passes a law otherwise. That should clear up any problems we might have in the future.

[oakvale]

Mr. Secretary -

Not sure if it's necessary to formally declare in this thread, but just in case - I have resigned from the Senate.

- oakvale.

[homelycooking]

NOTICE OF SPECIAL ELECTION

A special election to the Senate will be held from April 6 to April 8 to fill the vacancies created by the resignations of At-large Senators Oakvale and Junkie and Midwest Senator Marokai Blue.

[Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Since when are regional SEnators replaced by Special Elections?

[shua]

Since when are regional SEnators replaced by Special Elections?

Since the Senate Vacancy Regional Flexibility Amendment, they are in the Pacific. I'm not sure if they are anywhere else.

[homelycooking]

Since when are regional SEnators replaced by Special Elections?

If you can show me a law that states that the Midwest has some special procedure for regional senate vacancies, I'll gladly cancel that specific election. I've been looking for a while now and I can't find one. No one from the Midwest seems to be particularly active or interested in filling that vacancy in any case.

I thought it better to have a special election scheduled for that seat which can be disregarded if it turns out that it was not the proper procedure.

[Senator North Carolina Yankee]

My concern was the assumption that they had such a law. Perhaps you should contact their Prime Verin, or whatever he his called these days. If there isn't a special election procedure, he can just appoint some poor unfortunate sap to enter my chop shop. Eight is better than seven, anyday.

[bgwah]

From what I remember, the Governor appoints someone to the seat unless the region has specified otherwise.

For at-large seats, if there are less than six weeks left in the term, then the party may appoint a replacement.

[homelycooking]

From what I remember, the Governor appoints someone to the seat unless the region has specified otherwise.

Here's the problem: how do I definitively confirm the absence of a law? Should I presume that no law has been passed?

For at-large seats, if there are less than six weeks left in the term, then the party may appoint a replacement.

If a vacancy shall occur in a Class B Senate seat more than twenty-one days before the regularly scheduled election for that seat, then a special election shall be called to fill the remainder of the vacated term within one week of the vacancy occurring; Special elections to the Senate shall begin within ten days of the vacancy occurring and shall begin between midnight Eastern Standard Time on a Thursday and 0001 Eastern Standard Time on the first Friday thereafter, and shall conclude exactly 72 hours after beginning.

This is Article I, Section 4, Subsection 5. I can't find any amendments to this language, which specifies a cutoff of three, not six, weeks.

[Senator North Carolina Yankee]

"Presumption" shouldn't enter into the equation at all. If such exists, there must be someone who knows about it.

Hawkeye, ILV, Kal, Lewis, etc etc. The usuall midwest suspects. PM them until someone gives back a clear answer.

[homelycooking]

"Presumption" shouldn't enter into the equation at all. If such exists, there must be someone who knows about it.

That is true. But there is no way to prove that a such a law does not exist.

I can prove that there is a thimble in my house by picking one up and showing it to you. But how do I prove to you that there is not a thimble in my house? Do you get what I mean?

EDIT: I'm being a dick. Sorry. I suppose if I get word from Kal or Hawkeye, that will suffice.

[Senator North Carolina Yankee]

lol, ah homelycooking you be glad you aren't in the Senate no more.


Now PM those idiots before I start impeachement proceedings.

Frankly, your standard is a bit ridiculous. If a law exists, somebody had to pass it. Hawkeye has been Prime Verin for ages and thus if it passed since the relevant Constitutional Amendment allowing such was passed, then it would have had to pass through his glance at some point.  The Constitutional Amendment was passed only last year if I believe and therefore there isn't a very long window for such a change in regional polices to have been enacted.

Maybe you just want to hold a special election regardless of whether it is necessary or not, hmm?

[Governor Scott]

Kiss and make up, you two.

[homelycooking]

I sent out the PMs just a little while ago.

Maybe you just want to hold a special election regardless of whether it is necessary or not, hmm?

Well, if it is ever unclear whether it is the proper procedure or not to leave it up to a regional executive to select the Senator, I would prefer to err on the side of democracy. The results of a special election can be nullified if they're not legal, but I can't go back in time if I fail to hold an election when I should have.

Frankly, your standard is a bit ridiculous. If a law exists, somebody had to pass it. Hawkeye has been Prime Verin for ages and thus if it passed since the relevant Constitutional Amendment allowing such was passed, then it would have had to pass through his glance at some point.  The Constitutional Amendment was passed only last year if I believe and therefore there isn't a very long window for such a change in regional polices to have been enacted.

No, you're quite right. My concern is more of a philosophical one: how do you prove non-existence?

[Senator North Carolina Yankee]

By rulling out the possibility that such was created. For someting to exist, it must have materialized at some point. If you prove such a process didn't occur, you can prove non-existence.

[homelycooking]

By rulling out the possibility that such was created. For someting to exist, it must have materialized at some point. If you prove such a process didn't occur, you can prove non-existence.

Aha, but how does one do this? Maybe we should continue this discussion in the Philosophy board.

Kal informed me that he remembered a few cases of gubernatorial appointments, but could not give me any specifics or certainties. Will wait to hear back from Hawkeye.

[bgwah]

From what I remember, the Governor appoints someone to the seat unless the region has specified otherwise.

Here's the problem: how do I definitively confirm the absence of a law? Should I presume that no law has been passed?

For at-large seats, if there are less than six weeks left in the term, then the party may appoint a replacement.

If a vacancy shall occur in a Class B Senate seat more than twenty-one days before the regularly scheduled election for that seat, then a special election shall be called to fill the remainder of the vacated term within one week of the vacancy occurring; Special elections to the Senate shall begin within ten days of the vacancy occurring and shall begin between midnight Eastern Standard Time on a Thursday and 0001 Eastern Standard Time on the first Friday thereafter, and shall conclude exactly 72 hours after beginning.

This is Article I, Section 4, Subsection 5. I can't find any amendments to this language, which specifies a cutoff of three, not six, weeks.

hmm yeah, I guess there would be a special election then. I forgot we changed it to "three weeks before the next election" from "six weeks left of the term." So it's a special election (by less than a day). lol.

As for the regional seat, that shouldn't be your concern. If they don't have a law then by default their Governor does the appointment. If they do have a law specifying otherwise, I think the region should deal with it.

[Diabolical Minds Think Alike]

Will my alter-ego, William P. Nutterbutter III be on the ballot for the At-Large Senate election?

[IDS Legislator Alfred F. Jones]

Is he even eligible?

[Governor Scott]

Is he even eligible?

Of course he isn't.

[Diabolical Minds Think Alike]

Is he even eligible?

Are you saying he's not a legitimate human being? His lawyer will be calling your lawyer on the grounds that this is hate speech.