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…rch 2015 Judicial Election.
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Eluvatar committed Mar 10, 2015
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Expand Up @@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ In all the below templates, a word surrounded by double @ signs i.e. @@General@@
4. Year: the year during which the election begins.
5. Label: For a scheduled election, the Month. For a special election, "Special Election".
6. NextSched: the month of the next scheduled election for the position(s) being elected.
7. EligibilityDate: the date one must have joined the Regional Assembly by to be eligible to run in the election (15 days before nominations are opened).
7. EligibilityDate: the date one must have joined the Regional Assembly / become a Citizen by to be eligible to run in the election (15 days before nominations are opened).
8. TermLimitedDelegate: a name or list of names of persons ineligible to run for Delegate due to term limitations.
9. CandidaciesOpen: the time candidacy declarations open as a UNIX timestamp (number of seconds since January 1st 1970, GMT). Determinable using [a tool](http://www.timestampgenerator.com/).
10. CandidaciesClose: the time candidacy declarations close as a UNIX timestamp.
Expand All @@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ In all the below templates, a word surrounded by double @ signs i.e. @@General@@
15. Nominees: the list of persons nominated who are eligible but have not accepted nomination, each prefixed by [*] to itemize.
16. DeclinedNominees: the list of persons nominated who are eligible but have declined the nomination.
17. InvalidNominees: the list of persons nominated who are ineligible to run.
18. Candidates: the list of candidates followed by "Abstain" or "Present" if Abstain is a candidate in this election, separated by " | ".
18. Options: the list of candidates followed by "Abstain" or "Present" if Abstain is a candidate in this election, separated by " | ".
19. ChartURL: The URL of a pie chart image for election results, obtainable from an election counting spreadsheet.
20. CandidateVotes: the row in the results sheet's appropriate table for the candidate, prefixed by "[c]", for each candidate, concatenated.
21. ElectionCommissioners: the list of Election Commissioners, separated by ", ".
Expand All @@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ A Candidacy Declarations topic OP should include:
2. the eligibility requirements;
3. how to make a nomination, accept one, or declare candidacy;
4. when the deadline for acceptance of nominations and candidacy declarations is.
2. Optionally, a list of eligible members (Regional Assembly members who have been in the Regional Assembly since 15 days ago at the latest).
2. Optionally, a list of eligible members (Citizens who have been Citizens since 15 days ago at the latest).
3. An easily readable listing of candidates and/or nominees.

Below is a template which covers these questions:
Expand All @@ -53,15 +53,15 @@ Below is a template which covers these questions:
[img]http://www.thenorthpacific.org/images/ec-seal.png[/img][/center]
This @@Label@@, The North Pacific will be electing [[a Delegate,]] [[a]] [[Vice Delegate,]] [[and]] [[Speaker,]] [[#]][[a]] [[Justice]][[s]][[,]] [[and]] [[an Attorney General]] to serve until the next election in [[NextSched]]. Any Regional Assembly member who has been a member for the last 15 days (since @@EligibilityDate@@) is eligible to run for these offices [[excepting that @@TermLimitedDelegate@@ is unable to run for Delegate due to term limitations]], and eligible members may run for more than one of these offices if they so wish. Loss of Regional Assembly membership before the conclusion of this election will also result in loss of eligibility to run for any office during this election. [[A list of those eligible to run is provided below.]]
This @@Label@@, The North Pacific will be electing [[a Delegate,]] [[a]] [[Vice Delegate,]] [[and]] [[Speaker,]] [[#]][[a]] [[Justice]][[s]][[,]] [[and]] [[an Attorney General]] to serve until the next election in [[NextSched]]. Any Citizen who has been a member for the last 15 days (since @@EligibilityDate@@) is eligible to run for these offices [[excepting that @@TermLimitedDelegate@@ is unable to run for Delegate due to term limitations]], and eligible members may run for more than one of these offices if they so wish. Loss of Citizenship before the conclusion of this election will also result in loss of eligibility to run for any office during this election. [[A list of those eligible to run is provided below.]]
To run, one must either accept a nomination or declare candidacy [u]in this thread[/u]. To withdraw from running, one must post a withdrawal of candidacy in [u]this thread[/u].
Acceptances of nominations, declarations of candidacy, and withdrawals of candidacy posted outside this thread will be discounted. Acceptance of a nomination is understood to also constitute declaration of candidacy even if no nomination has been made. Acceptances of nominations, declarations of candidacy, and withdrawals of candidacy must be posted during the candidacy declaration period to be valid. The candidacy declaration period is from (time=@@CandidaciesOpen@@) (your forum time) to (time=@@CandidaciesEnd@@) (your forum time). Voting will be approximately from (time=@@VotingOpen@@) (your forum time) to (time=@@VotingEnd@@) (your forum time).
This topic is intended for nominations, acceptances of nominations, declarations of candidacy, and withdrawals of candidacy; it may not be used for campaigning. Please keep in mind that lying about the election is election fraud, and that lying for any purpose is fraud.
[[[spoiler=Eligible to run*]@@Eligible@@[/spoiler]*Loss of Regional Assembly membership before the conclusion of this election will also result in loss of eligibility to run for any office during this election.]]
[[[spoiler=Eligible to run*]@@Eligible@@[/spoiler]*Loss of Citizenship before the conclusion of this election will also result in loss of eligibility to run for any office during this election.]]
[b]Candidates:[/b][list=1]@@NomCandidates@@[/list]
[b]Nominees:[/b][list=1]@@Nominees@@[/list]
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -97,30 +97,30 @@ Below is a template which covers these matters:
Voting [[is now open]][[opens at (time=@@VotingOpen@@)]] in this @@Type@@. Voting will be from (time=@@VotingOpen@@) (your forum time) to (time=@@VotingEnd@@) (your forum time), and ballots submitted outside that time are invalid.
Everyone who is a Regional Assembly member at the time voting opens is eligible to vote. Loss of Regional Assembly membership before the close of voting also results in loss of eligibility to vote.
Everyone who is a Citizen at the time voting opens is eligible to vote. Loss of Citizenship before the close of voting also results in loss of eligibility to vote.
Voters must use the following voting form:
Public Voters must use the following voting form:
[code][[[b]Delegate:[/b] < @@Candidates@@ >]]
[code][[[b]Delegate:[/b] < @@Options@@ >]]
[[[b]Would you like to reopen nominations?[/b] < Yes | No >]]
[[[b]Vice Delegate:[/b] < @@Candidates@@ >]]
[[[b]Vice Delegate:[/b] < @@Options@@ >]]
[[[b]Would you like to reopen nominations?[/b] < Yes | No >]]
[[[b]Speaker:[/b] < @@Candidates@@ >]]
[[[b]Speaker:[/b] < @@Options@@ >]]
[[[b]Would you like to reopen nominations?[/b] < Yes | No >]]
[[[b]Court Justice [[(select 3)]]:][/b] < @@Candidates@@ >]]
[[[b]Court Justice [[(select up to 3)]]:][/b] < @@Options@@ >]]
[[[b]Would you like to reopen nominations?[/b] < Yes | No >]]
[[[b]Attorney General:[/b] < @@Candidates@@ >]]
[[[b]Attorney General:[/b] < @@Options@@ >]]
[[[b]Would you like to reopen nominations?[/b] < Yes | No >]][/code]
[[[b][color=red]Abstain is a candidate in this election. If you wish to abstain from voting you must use the option of PRESENT.[/color][/b]]]
Voters may submit their ballots either publicly by a post in this thread, or through personal message to [url=http://forum.thenorthpacific.org/msg/?c=2&mid=197430]The Voting Booth[/url]. Ballots not submitted according to these guidelines are invalid. Ambiguous votes are invalid.
Voters may submit their ballots either publicly by a post in this thread, or through personal message to [url=http://forum.thenorthpacific.org/msg/?c=2&mid=197430]The Voting Booth[/url] with a random ballot ID number. Ballots not submitted according to these guidelines are invalid. Ambiguous votes are invalid.
[b][color=red]Election Commissioners are required by law to announce private votes in the voting thread, including the candidate(s) the vote was cast for, promptly after those votes are cast. For this reason, voters are discouraged from announcing, as was custom, that they have voted privately, as the subsequent public declaration by the Election Commissioners can potentially reveal how they voted.[/color][/b]
[b][color=red]Election Commissioners are required by law to announce private votes in the voting thread, including the candidate(s) the vote was cast for, promptly after those votes are cast. To allow voters to verify their vote is individually counted, the Election Commission will also be including the ballot ID number. For this reason, voters are discouraged from announcing, as was custom, that they have voted privately, as the subsequent public declaration by the Election Commissioners can potentially reveal how they voted.[/color][/b]
Please do not post anything other than your ballot in this thread. If you have any questions please send them directly to [url=http://forum.thenorthpacific.org/msg/?c=2&mid=197430]The Voting Booth[/url] or start a new thread. Additional and unnecessary comments will be removed.
Expand All @@ -135,39 +135,78 @@ The Election Commission is required to announce all private ballots in the Votin

```
Private ballot:
[quote][[[b]Delegate:[/b] < @@Candidates@@ >]]
[quote][b]Ballot ID number:[/b] #
[[[b]Delegate:[/b] < @@Options@@ >]]
[[[b]Would you like to reopen nominations?[/b] < Yes | No >]]
[[[b]Vice Delegate:[/b] < @@Candidates@@ >]]
[[[b]Vice Delegate:[/b] < @@Options@@ >]]
[[[b]Would you like to reopen nominations?[/b] < Yes | No >]]
[[[b]Speaker:[/b] < @@Candidates@@ >]]
[[[b]Speaker:[/b] < @@Options@@ >]]
[[[b]Would you like to reopen nominations?[/b] < Yes | No >]]
[[[b]Court Justice [[(select 3)]]:][/b] < @@Candidates@@ >]]
[[[b]Court Justice [[(select up to 3)]]:][/b] < @@Options@@ >]]
[[[b]Would you like to reopen nominations?[/b] < Yes | No >]]
[[[b]Attorney General:[/b] < @@Candidates@@ >]]
[[[b]Attorney General:[/b] < @@Options@@ >]]
[[[b]Would you like to reopen nominations?[/b] < Yes | No >]][/quote]
```

The ballot format should match the one included in the Voting topic, and the vote options _must_ match those of the private ballot.

## Template vote reminder PM and telegram

It is recommended that Election Commissioners send a PM and a telegram to all members of the Regional Assembly eligible to vote when voting begins, encouraging them to cast their ballots. Below is a template that can be used for this purpose:
## Private Message

The Election Commissioners should send a PM to all Citizens eligible to vote when voting begins, encouraging them to cast their ballots and including the private voting ballot template.

**Title**: A reminder to vote
**Title**: @@Month@@ @@Year@@ @@Type@@

**Body**:

```
Hi there!
This is a reminder that the @@Month@@ @@Year@@ @@Type@@ is currently underway. Voting has begun on (time=@@VotingOpen@@) (your forum time) and will continue until (time=@@VotingEnd@@) (your forum time).
If you have not already voted, the Election Commission would like to encourage you to visit the following thread and submit your ballot, either publicly [url=@@Voting URL@@]here[/url], or by replying to this PM with the below ballot filled out with a [url=https://www.random.org/integers/?num=1&min=1&max=10000&col=1&base=10&format=html&rnd=new]random[/url] ballot ID number. The ballot ID number will be posted together with your vote but with no reference to your identity so that you can verify that we posted your vote and any votes otherwise identical to yours, separately.
[code][b]Ballot ID number:[/b] #
[[[b]Delegate:[/b] < @@Options@@ >]]
[[[b]Would you like to reopen nominations?[/b] < Yes | No >]]
[[[b]Vice Delegate:[/b] < @@Options@@ >]]
[[[b]Would you like to reopen nominations?[/b] < Yes | No >]]
[[[b]Speaker:[/b] < @@Options@@ >]]
[[[b]Would you like to reopen nominations?[/b] < Yes | No >]]
[[[b]Court Justice [[(select 3)]]:][/b] < @@Options@@ >]]
[[[b]Would you like to reopen nominations?[/b] < Yes | No >]]
[[[b]Attorney General:[/b] < @@Options@@ >]]
[[[b]Would you like to reopen nominations?[/b] < Yes | No >]][/code]
The more votes, the stronger democracy is in The North Pacific. Thank you for voting!
Regards,
~The Election Commission
```

### Telegram

It is recommended that Election Commissioners also send a telegram to all Citizens eligible to vote when voting begins, encouraging them to cast their ballots. Below is a template that can be used for this purpose:

```
Hi there!
This is a reminder that the @@Month@@ @@Year@@ @@Type@@ is currently underway. Voting has begun on (time=@@VotingOpen@@) (your forum time) and will continue until (time=@@VotingEnd@@) (your forum time).
If you have not already voted, the Election Commission would like to encourage you to visit the following thread and submit your ballot:
[b]@@Voting URL[/b]
[b]@@Voting URL@@[/b]
The more votes, the stronger democracy is in The North Pacific. Thank you for voting!
Expand All @@ -177,23 +216,22 @@ Regards,

## Template counting spreadsheet

A publicly visible Elections template is provided [here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AsyHPhL33zwvdEhaS2J6QTZTZ3JoRnRlRnF5OEh5a1E#gid=0).
A publicly visible Elections template is provided [here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tZ4jLz6Qcjtv_bWZSMVTgnqv1CZErog4KDq7uMl0uy8/).

### Instructions for cloning

1. You can copy the counting template by opening it, clicking the File menu in the upper left hand corner, and clicking "Make a copy..."
2. It is generally advisable to share the counting sheet with all Election Commissioners.
3. To update the copy of the template for the current election:
1. Remove the charts in the Results sheet for all positions which are not being elected (click on the chart, then click on the drop down menu in the upper right hand corner of the chart and select "Delete chart")
2. Remove the columns in the Ballots sheet for all positions which are not being elected (select the columns by clicking on the column label of the first and dragging across to the last, then click the drop down menu at the right end of the column labels and select "Delete columns *Letter* - *Letter*"
2. Remove the sheets for other types of elections (click the triangle next to the sheet name, then click Delete).
3. Update the set of candidates in the Results sheet.
4. If more candidates are needed than there are spaces, the macros under the **Percentage** and **Win?** columns will need to be updated by extending the range they apply to. The range deliberately excludes the row for abstentions.
4. If more candidates are needed than there are spaces, the macros will need to be adjusted.

### Instructions for counting

1. For every public vote, one can enter the voter's forum name, a link to their ballot, and their votes (as well as any notes if needed) in the Ballots sheet in the appropriate columns.
2. For every private vote, one can do the same in the Ballots sheet, but exclude the voter's forum name. The names of private voters may _never_ be published. In this case, the link should be to the post where the private ballot was announced by the Election Commissioners.
3. Check the Ballots sheet for invalid votes. A vote may be invalid because the person who cast it was not or is no longer an eligible voter. Eligible voters are those that are Regional Assembly members throughout _the entire time_ the vote is open. Ways to confirm this include checking that voters are in the Regional Assembly usergroup as they vote, as well as checking against the official [Regional Assembly / Citizen Registry](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AjUCYljFPq3CdEtwc19aNTZJMWszeWhrcm1tOFdLcWc#gid=0) maintained by the Speaker's Office. It is important to keep in mind that Regional Assembly membership status changes take effect the moment they are announced by the Speaker's Office. For this reason, ultimately, Regional Assembly membership status can be definitively verified only by tracking recent Regional Assembly [admissions](http://forum.thenorthpacific.org/topic/6923980/1/) and [removals](http://forum.thenorthpacific.org/topic/6917173/1/).
3. Check the Ballots sheet for invalid votes. A vote may be invalid because the person who cast it was not or is no longer an eligible voter. Eligible voters are those that are Citizens throughout _the entire time_ the vote is open. Ways to confirm this include checking that voters are in the Citizens usergroup as they vote, as well as checking against the official [Citizen / Resident Registry](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AjUCYljFPq3CdEtwc19aNTZJMWszeWhrcm1tOFdLcWc#gid=0) maintained by the Speaker's Office. It is important to keep in mind that Citizenship status changes take effect the moment they are announced by the Speaker's Office. For this reason, ultimately, Citizenship status can be definitively verified only by tracking recent Citizenship [admissions](http://forum.thenorthpacific.org/topic/7306731/1/) and [removals](http://forum.thenorthpacific.org/topic/6917173/1/).
4. Invalid votes can be invalidated by deleting the votes choices and turning their background color to red.
5. It is advisable to inform invalid voters that their vote is invalid in shortly after they cast it, allowing them to correct any errors if possible.

Expand Down

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