Northeast Elections, April 2011

[homelycooking]

OFFICIAL BALLOT OF THE NORTHEAST FOR THE ELECTION OF APRIL 15-17, 2011

FOR ASSEMBLY (7 seats to fill)
[] GIOVANNI, The John Engle Party, North Dakota
[] HOMELYCOOKING, Independent, Connecticut
[] JAKE MATTHEWS, The Populares, Vermont
[] NAPOLEON, Jesus Christ Party, Connecticut
[] SBANE, Union of the Democratic Left, New York
[] Write-in_________________

I, homelycooking, in the absence of Governor Ghost_white and with the sanction of the Speaker of the Northeast Assembly, do hereby declare the polls to be open until 12AM Sunday April 17.

[homelycooking]

There is neither a Northeast CJO, nor a Lieutenant Governor, and Governor Ghost_white is absent. In any case, Speaker Jake Matthews has told me that I will be appointed Lt. Governor today. I suppose that voting can't officially commence until I become Lt. Governor, but the polls have been open for about eight hours and I have not been told to close them by any elected official.

In light of these unusual circumstances, should voting not officially commence until sometime later today, I would ask that the assembly extend the voting hours into Sunday in order to maintain a 48-hour voting period.

I apologize to all Northeast voters for the confusion.

hc

[homelycooking]

I also would support a recall effort. The Northeast cannot afford weak or transient leadership.

Hopefully this process can be carried out in such a way as to minimize this uncomfortable transition period.

[homelycooking]

Might as well vote anyway.

Sure, why not.

OFFICIAL BALLOT OF THE NORTHEAST FOR THE ELECTION OF APRIL 15-17, 2011

FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
[1] HOMELYCOOKING, Independent, Connecticut
[] Write-in ________________

FOR ASSEMBLY (6 seats to fill)
[] GIOVANNI, The John Engle Party, North Dakota
[1] HOMELYCOOKING, Independent, Connecticut
[3] JAKE MATTHEWS, The Populares, Vermont
[2] NAPOLEON, Jesus Christ Party, Connecticut
[4] SBANE, Union of the Democratic Left, New York
[] Write-in ________________

[homelycooking]

When will the polls close? 48 hours from when the poll was authorized (11:17 AM, Monday, April 18)?

[homelycooking]

The lieutenant Governor is not up for election at this point, and there are 7 seats to fill.

The ballot in the OP has been fixed.

[homelycooking]

OFFICIAL BALLOT OF THE NORTHEAST FOR THE ELECTION OF APRIL 15-17, 2011

FOR ASSEMBLY (7 seats to fill)

[] GIOVANNI, The John Engle Party, North Dakota
[1] HOMELYCOOKING, Independent, Connecticut
[3] JAKE MATTHEWS, The Populares, Vermont
[2] NAPOLEON, Jesus Christ Party, Connecticut
[4] SBANE, Union of the Democratic Left, New York
[] Write-in_________________

[homelycooking]

Governor, the polls have been open for 48 hours. Please close them and certify the results.

[homelycooking]

As nonsensical as it is to have an assemblyman from North Dakota representing the Northeast, and despite the fact that Giovanni was the lowest vote-getter of all candidates on the ballot, he was elected by the voters of the Northeast. He shouldn't be expelled from the Assembly immediately. He should, however, be forced to move to the Northeast if he wants to run for reelection when the legislation passes. I'm just worried that this might be an ex post facto law if Giovanni is punished for doing something (getting elected) that was legal when it happened.

[homelycooking]

I could argue that he is constitutionally barred from serving. This is the "Legislative Assembly of the Northeast Region". If that is to be true, its members would be "of the Northeast Region", which he isn't.

The Constitution might imply in that way that NE assemblymen should be from the NE, but it does not explicitly say so. The Constitution places no restrictions on legislative membership.
I don't like the idea of Giovanni serving as a legislator here one bit, but I just don't think we have a legal way to kick him out in the middle of a term.

He should be forced to move or be expelled, that's all.

Again, I think that changes the rules of the game in retrospect for the election we just had. I support your legislation to mandate that NE assemblymen be from the NE wholeheartedly, but I would be very reluctant to kick out a sitting assemblyman in the middle of his term because of the passage of a law which punishes him for an act that was legal when he did it.

This was a very sly move he made and I commend him for his clever thinking, but this won't fly under my administration.

Absolutely, I agree completely, and it shouldn't be allowed to fly. All I'm saying is that your legislation should go into effect at the next election.