Loonyism Referendum Tracker

[Associate Justice PiT]

I would not be opposed to providing a translator to any voter who needs one. My vote, though, is about making things easier for the SoFE. Otherwise, I'd just be enabling  a bunch of people . . . It's about common sense and practicality.

I concur with that - it was quite close to my reasoning as well. The language thing to me has more to do with people wanting to take the Greek and Russian and really carry it too far. Further, I personally don't mind a bit of goofing around (joke votes, for example, carried to excess I just wouldn't count), my issue always tends to be with goofing around for the sake of goofing around because people inclined to do it usually don't respect restraint. Then it just gets in the way and becomes annoying. It would be tough enough, I think, to keep track of all the username changes.

     I have conducted elections with foreign language ballots, and I must say that it becomes quite problematic. Sometimes I cannot readily identify the language and Google doesn't help. It will think the ballot is in one language, but then Google Translate has nothing to say about the ballot, nor does any other online translator I can find. I wouldn't wish this hassle on homelycooking, or any other SoFE for that matter.

[Mechaman]

I would not be opposed to providing a translator to any voter who needs one. My vote, though, is about making things easier for the SoFE. Otherwise, I'd just be enabling  a bunch of people whose sole desire is to troll the game. I know that sounds harsh, but when we step back for a minute, that's honestly exactly what it is. I haven't sent any messages out to my party about this initiative. What you're seeing is the Federalists reaching the same rational conclusion all on their own.  And I reject the notion that it's about disenfranchising voters. It's about common sense and practicality.

Oh really?  So you guys being called "the Federalist Party" is just a big fat coincidence?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

I understand concerns about voting in diffrent language, usually by google translator, which is hardly a reliable tool (I've been checking it with Polish and Arabic and it was far from accurate). I know some trolls like to bump their ego by pretending they're a great polyglots, but there frequently butchered auto-translations are hard for those who are counting votes.

I don't understand, however, what is the problem with traditional, harmless write-ins? Don't tell me you can't identify them.

[homelycooking]

I understand concerns about voting in diffrent language, usually by google translator, which is hardly a reliable tool (I've been checking it with Polish and Arabic and it was far from accurate). I know some trolls like to bump their ego by pretending they're a great polyglots, but there frequently butchered auto-translations are hard for those who are counting votes.

I don't understand, however, what is the problem with traditional, harmless write-ins? Don't tell me you can't identify them.

Remember "Cranky Blue Clarence"?

[Lincoln Republican]

Non English language ballots, invalidate

Stupid write ins, invalidate

Trolls trying to act like they actually know something, invalidate

Attention whores trying to impress someone, invalidate

 

[Adam Griffin]

Non English language ballots, invalidate

Stupid write ins, invalidate

Trolls trying to act like they actually know something, invalidate

Attention whores trying to impress someone, invalidate

Says the guy who only comes into Atlasia these days to bitch.

     I have conducted elections with foreign language ballots, and I must say that it becomes quite problematic. Sometimes I cannot readily identify the language and Google doesn't help. It will think the ballot is in one language, but then Google Translate has nothing to say about the ballot, nor does any other online translator I can find. I wouldn't wish this hassle on homelycooking, or any other SoFE for that matter.

I'm gonna call hogwash on this one. The IDS has probably had more foreign language ballots cast as of recent than any other region. At least within the past year, any ballot which you have counted, I have as well, and I've never came across a serious ballot that was somehow non-translatable or otherwise unclear to the point of having a legitimate reason for invalidation.

Obviously there are ballots that are sometimes cast that clearly do not have any actual preference designated, but that is a different story. This initiative does not guarantee those sorts of ballots any different treatment than they would receive now.

Foreign language ballots are not difficult to translate. Very few people on here are true polyglots, and as such, the same tool they used to create the ballot is very likely the same one you would use to decipher it. Sure, translating into that language and back again may produce a less than optimal result, but ya know, context clues.

This initiative wouldn't force all ballots cast in any language to be counted, but rather, it would prevent election administrators from automatically throwing out ballots because they've dictated such.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

What is one legitimate positive about allowing foreign language ballots to be counted in a fake country where all of its citizens decently understand English?

Can you point to even one example of a foreign language vote in Atlasia that was not cast by someone who just wanted to draw attention to himself and lampoon the process?

[Adam Griffin]

What is one legitimate positive about allowing foreign language ballots to be counted in a fake country where all of its citizens decently understand English?

Can you point to even one example of a foreign language vote in Atlasia that was not cast by someone who just wanted to draw attention to himself and lampoon the process?

What is one legitimate positive about opposing foreign language ballots in a fake country where in the blink of an eye, accurate translations can be rendered?

Can you point to even one example of any action whatsoever taken in Atlasia that was not motivated by someone who just wanted to draw attention to himself or herself? Because you know, it's a political simulator?

Furthermore: how many foreign language ballots do you think all the naysayers combined could have translated in the amount of time you all have spent opposing this?

What a bunch of pious nonsense.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Your non-response to my pious nonsense is noted.

[Associate Justice PiT]

     I have conducted elections with foreign language ballots, and I must say that it becomes quite problematic. Sometimes I cannot readily identify the language and Google doesn't help. It will think the ballot is in one language, but then Google Translate has nothing to say about the ballot, nor does any other online translator I can find. I wouldn't wish this hassle on homelycooking, or any other SoFE for that matter.

I'm gonna call hogwash on this one. The IDS has probably had more foreign language ballots cast as of recent than any other region. At least within the past year, any ballot which you have counted, I have as well, and I've never came across a serious ballot that was somehow non-translatable or otherwise unclear to the point of having a legitimate reason for invalidation.

Obviously there are ballots that are sometimes cast that clearly do not have any actual preference designated, but that is a different story. This initiative does not guarantee those sorts of ballots any different treatment than they would receive now.

Foreign language ballots are not difficult to translate. Very few people on here are true polyglots, and as such, the same tool they used to create the ballot is very likely the same one you would use to decipher it. Sure, translating into that language and back again may produce a less than optimal result, but ya know, context clues.

This initiative wouldn't force all ballots cast in any language to be counted, but rather, it would prevent election administrators from automatically throwing out ballots because they've dictated such.

     There were ballots in recent elections that I was unable to translate. The record shows as much. I guess my translation skills are not as good as yours are.

[Adam Griffin]

     There were ballots in recent elections that I was unable to translate. The record shows as much. I guess my translation skills are not as good as yours are.

Look, I'm not trying to be an ass to you. All I'm saying is:

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=171754.msg3687322#msg3687322

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https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=171754.msg3689146#msg3689146

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[Bacon King]

Non English language ballots, invalidate

Stupid write ins, invalidate

Trolls trying to act like they actually know something, invalidate

Attention whores trying to impress someone, invalidate

 

I love this post and from now on anytime I disapprove of something I will name it and follow it with a comma and "invalidate"

[ZuWo]

As useful as Google Translate may be in many cases, it fails miserably when it comes to certain non-standard language varieties such as for instance Swiss German, my own mother tongue. There are usually many ways in any given language to express approval or disapproval that are more complex than a mere "yes" or "no". What if, for example, I decided to vote "wägemine" or "momoll"? Do you really expect the person who is in charge of counting the votes to figure out what that means, possibly by consulting a dictionary of Swiss German or PMing Atlasians who might be able to understand these words?

In other words, allowing people to vote in any language variety they like can make things utterly messy for federal and regiona voting booth administrators. Because of this and because no one has ever been able to answer the question why it is even necessary to vote in a language other than English, we should only count votes that are cast in English.

[minionofmidas]

Non English language ballots, invalidate

Stupid write ins, invalidate

Trolls trying to act like they actually know something, invalidate

Attention whores trying to impress someone, invalidate

 

I love this post and from now on anytime I disapprove of something I will name it and follow it with a comma and "invalidate"

It's kind of a definitional issue whether all his own votes fall under 3 or 4, though.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

I understand concerns about voting in diffrent language, usually by google translator, which is hardly a reliable tool (I've been checking it with Polish and Arabic and it was far from accurate). I know some trolls like to bump their ego by pretending they're a great polyglots, but there frequently butchered auto-translations are hard for those who are counting votes.

I don't understand, however, what is the problem with traditional, harmless write-ins? Don't tell me you can't identify them.

Remember "Cranky Blue Clarence"?

Everybody knew it was a joke write-in, especially since Napoleon preferenced Clarence later without "WI". What's the fuss?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

     There were ballots in recent elections that I was unable to translate. The record shows as much. I guess my translation skills are not as good as yours are.

Look, I'm not trying to be an ass to you. All I'm saying is:

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=171754.msg3687322#msg3687322

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https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=171754.msg3689146#msg3689146

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Good tool, but google still fails at more complex translations.

[homelycooking]

You can find the results of the referendum here.

[Donerail]

Google Translate also believes that in the IDS February election, Xahar's ballot looked like this:

[2] Geraerkensas the (federal - Arkansas) Q
[1] Velasco (employment - Texas)

IDS March:

[3] Empire (Federal-FL) (e)
[1] Hashemite (National Movement "Aliya Mustafina"-FL)
[5] Type 99 seabirds (Federal-TX)
[4] South Park Conservatives (Federal-SC)
[2] Zanas46 (Labor-GA) (e)

IDS January:

[3] AHHertog99 (ONA-ZC) (z)
[2] Derijken (EDF-FL)
[4] geroltarkansas (EDF-AR) (z)
[1] Zanas46 (PRG-GA)

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

I can tell what that is. Can you?

[Mechaman]

Google Translate also believes that in the IDS February election, Xahar's ballot looked like this:

[2] Geraerkensas the (federal - Arkansas) Q
[1] Velasco (employment - Texas)

IDS March:

[3] Empire (Federal-FL) (e)
[1] Hashemite (National Movement "Aliya Mustafina"-FL)
[5] Type 99 seabirds (Federal-TX)
[4] South Park Conservatives (Federal-SC)
[2] Zanas46 (Labor-GA) (e)

IDS January:

[3] AHHertog99 (ONA-ZC) (z)
[2] Derijken (EDF-FL)
[4] geroltarkansas (EDF-AR) (z)
[1] Zanas46 (PRG-GA)

All that I see is the proper vote for freedom and justice.  What do you see?

[Adam Griffin]

I can tell what that is. Can you?

[Donerail]

I can tell what that is. Can you?

What a "Type 99 seabird" or "AHHertog99" is isn't entirely clear. We certainly have nobody registered under those names. All it does is make the process unnecessarily complicated for no reason whatsoever.

[Adam Griffin]

I can tell what that is. Can you?

What a "Type 99 seabird" or "AHHertog99" is isn't entirely clear. We certainly have nobody registered under those names. All it does is make the process unnecessarily complicated for no reason whatsoever.

It takes an equal amount of complication to turn off the areas of your brain that should otherwise be easily able to identify the ballot in question.

[Lincoln Republican]

Non English language ballots, invalidate

Stupid write ins, invalidate

Trolls trying to act like they actually know something, invalidate

Attention whores trying to impress someone, invalidate

 

I love this post and from now on anytime I disapprove of something I will name it and follow it with a comma and "invalidate"

Thank you Bacon King for your very generous and kind offer to emulate me, however, I am but a humble servant of the people, and I seek not praise nor glory.

Although I am grateful, I am unworthy of such adulation.

[Donerail]

I can tell what that is. Can you?

What a "Type 99 seabird" or "AHHertog99" is isn't entirely clear. We certainly have nobody registered under those names. All it does is make the process unnecessarily complicated for no reason whatsoever.

It takes an equal amount of complication to turn off the areas of your brain that should otherwise be easily able to identify the ballot in question.

Easily? I cannot easily identify جيريأركنساس (الفيدرالية-أركنساس)س as the name of any particular individual. I still have to fire up Google Translate, make sure that it all got copied (since it's for some reason printed on the other side of the screen), translate it through, check to make sure the "Detect Language" found the right language (remember the time Xahar submitted a ballot in Romanian but in the Cyrillic characters used in Moldova or something?), possibly find another translation site if Google Translate doesn't host that language, figure out which names match to which candidates, check that that's right, then make a note of what it was in the event that I'm doing a count before the final count so that I don't have to repeat those steps again. It takes a few minutes and is a needless complication of the process.

But moreover, there's no point to doing so. All that translating your ballot into a foreign language does is make things a little bit more complicated. There is no legitimate reason to do so.