The Mideast Record-Courier (Exclusive Interview with Roy Barnes)

[pikachu]

I noticed this in the federal elections and thought it was hilarious. I think it's incredibly clear that putting NOTA as your 4th preference with none others after it means you're purposefully voting a blank ballot. What other reason would there be to put "None of the Above" below your votes?

/ghost out

To declare that you don't approve of any of the other candidates other than those you ranked higher.

I still can't find the Northeast law on NOTA.  I think the feds changed their law so that preferences above NOTA ARE valid.  I'm not sure yet what effect that will have on the Northeast - probably none.  We can have our own ballot laws.

If I have time, some time next week, I am going to try to pull together all of the election laws so that we can have one Northeast consolidated election law.  Just from preliminary research, there are some incongruities that we probably should fix.  For example, the time to hold special Senate elections is technically, 7 days after the vacancy and does not necessarily cause the election to start on a Friday.

By the way, I think the Northeast doesn't allow ballots to be edited at all.  Unless it went down the memory hole somewhere, we have no 20-minute grace period. 

It also looks like candidates have until the day of the election to declare for special elections (who knew?).

Our Wiki is also in serious need of work, particularly during the dark period when SirNick deleted Assembly threads.

evergreen brought to my attention that it's supposed to be the job of the Lieutenant Governor to update the statute, but that wasn't previously well-communicated...Luckily, I had a list of laws for the civic information thread, but previous LGs haven't done that, so we have a lot of stuff completely undocumented from before my terms. If I lose, I'm planning on trying to make pages for whatever's been passed during my time in the Assembly. (I'll probably also start that if I win )

[cinyc]

Unless it was subsequently repealed, the Regional Voting Regulations Act 2014 specifically took the None of the Above option off of Northeast ballots, and provides for specific text to be included in the voting booth that removed the NOTA instruction.  Thus, unless that law has been repealed, I erred in even putting a NOTA option on the ballot and the language in the voting booth.

So unless that law was repealed, Rpryor's vote should count.  I am further researching the subject, though, so this could change.

[cinyc]

FYI -  Assuming the registrar's listing of morgieb as a Mideast resident before this week is accurate, morgieb's vote is invalid for failing to be a resident of the Northeast 7 days before the election.

Edited to add: My prior count of AutumnLeaf's posts is innacurate.  I think he or she made exactly 10 posts in the 56 days prior to the election.  So his or her vote should be valid.

[Blair]

Is it 10 posts in the whole forum or on Atlasia boards?

[SUSAN CRUSHBONE]

Is it 10 posts in the whole forum or on Atlasia boards?

the forum in general

[cinyc]

Thinking Crumpets Crumpet's vote is invalid due to failing the 7-day residency requirement.  I'm currently researching whether Oakvale's vote should be too, as he registered in the Northeast the Friday before the election, exactly 7 days but not 168 hours before the election began.

[Blair]

Thinking Crumpets Crumpet's vote is invalid due to failing the 7-day residency requirement.  I'm currently researching whether Oakvale's vote should be too, as he registered in the Northeast the Friday before the election, exactly 7 days but not 168 hours before the election began.

why do northeast elections always end up like this?

8 minutes too late, and the vote gets struck off

[cinyc]

Thinking Crumpets Crumpet's vote is invalid due to failing the 7-day residency requirement.  I'm currently researching whether Oakvale's vote should be too, as he registered in the Northeast the Friday before the election, exactly 7 days but not 168 hours before the election began.

why do northeast elections always end up like this?

8 minutes too late, and the vote gets struck off

Even Atlasian federal elections employ the 7-day rule for new registrants and region moves.  It is in both the Atlasian Constitution and the Northeast's own voting regulations from as far back as 2004.  Even if it weren't (apparently) Northeast law, we can't ignore the Atlasian Constitution's rule of when a move is effective because the Atlasian Supreme Court has ruled that we can't create a separate Northeast voting roll.  So I really have no choice but to follow those rules for the two or three voters who registered or moved in the past week.

I asked the SoFE for clarification on how the 7-day rule works, and he said it's usually interpreted as 168 hours.  So Oakvale's vote is probably invalid, too - though I've asked for further clarification and am still researching.

I'm not disqualifying any votes with a view toward changing the outcome - in fact, I haven't even calculated the current outcome or how disallowing any vote would change it.

[Blair]

Yeahh I understand it's all standard practice

[pikachu]

Thinking Crumpets Crumpet's vote is invalid due to failing the 7-day residency requirement.  I'm currently researching whether Oakvale's vote should be too, as he registered in the Northeast the Friday before the election, exactly 7 days but not 168 hours before the election began.

why do northeast elections always end up like this?

8 minutes too late, and the vote gets struck off

It's the price of being an active region

Regardless, it'd probably be a good idea for a list of voters who fail activity requirements to be published along with the sample ballot, or something along those lines.

[cinyc]

It's the price of being an active region

Regardless, it'd probably be a good idea for a list of voters who fail activity requirements to be published along with the sample ballot, or something along those lines.

Normally, the SoFE makes these determinations and the Northeast elections officials follow the SoFE's lead, as there can only be one voter roll.  The only exception is for the very few people who vote in regional but not national elections.  There is no SoFE role in special elections, so it all falls to the Northeast official opening the booth in a special election.

It would take a long time to go through 40+ potential Northeast voters to check for potential issues before the election, especially when about half of them historically won't vote.  It is much easier to check after someone casts a ballot.  I'm not even sure how to check the last posts of a poster other than by clicking on that poster's name in a thread.  If they don't post a vote, how can I do that?

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

THE MIDEAST RECORD-COURIER

2nd Report on the July 2015 Northeast Special Gubernatorial Election

As the clock ticks away the final hours of the campaign, Acting Governor Pikachu narrowly trails Labor challenger Blair in the first round, while Justice Oakvale has fallen behind amidst a late surge for Mr. Blair. Current counts show Blair leading in the first round with 36% of the vote to Mr. Pikachu's 32%. Ballots cast by Morgieb, Pessimistic Antineutrino, and Thinking Crumpets Crumpet have been judged invalid by Chief Judicial Officer Cinyc and were therefore excluded from this tabulation.

For Governor (58% Turnout)
Blair (LAB): 8 (36%)
Pikachu (TPP): 7 (32%)
Oakvale (IN): 4 (18%)
Evergeen (UMP): 3 (14%)

If these results hold, Mr. Pikachu would win in the final round with 60% of the vote to Blair's 40%, with two ballots exhausted. Polls will remain open across the Northeast until 11:59 PM EST this evening.

[Oakvale]

I shall be launching a legal challenge to the result should Messrs. RPryor and Twistory's votes be counted. It is also deeply unsettling that an election may have taken place with clearly misleading instructions given to voters, and would cast doubt on the legitimacy of the result, whoever may win.

[cinyc]

I shall be launching a legal challenge to the result should Messrs. RPryor and Twistory's votes be counted. It is also deeply unsettling that an election may have taken place with clearly misleading instructions given to voters, and would cast doubt on the legitimacy of the result, whoever may win.

What's wrong with Twistory's vote, exactly?  He also had 10 forum posts in the relevant period, so it's not inactivity.

[Oakvale]

I shall be launching a legal challenge to the result should Messrs. RPryor and Twistory's votes be counted. It is also deeply unsettling that an election may have taken place with clearly misleading instructions given to voters, and would cast doubt on the legitimacy of the result, whoever may win.

What's wrong with Twistory's vote, exactly?  He also had 10 forum posts in the relevant period, so it's not inactivity.

The question is whether, since most of those posts are, well, votes, they should count as "posts" proper. I'd argue not.

[cinyc]

I shall be launching a legal challenge to the result should Messrs. RPryor and Twistory's votes be counted. It is also deeply unsettling that an election may have taken place with clearly misleading instructions given to voters, and would cast doubt on the legitimacy of the result, whoever may win.

What's wrong with Twistory's vote, exactly?  He also had 10 forum posts in the relevant period, so it's not inactivity.

The question is whether, since most of those posts are, well, votes, they should count as "posts" proper. I'd argue not.

Then your problem is not just with Twistory.  It is with AutumnLeaf and perhaps others. 

[Oakvale]

I shall be launching a legal challenge to the result should Messrs. RPryor and Twistory's votes be counted. It is also deeply unsettling that an election may have taken place with clearly misleading instructions given to voters, and would cast doubt on the legitimacy of the result, whoever may win.

What's wrong with Twistory's vote, exactly?  He also had 10 forum posts in the relevant period, so it's not inactivity.

The question is whether, since most of those posts are, well, votes, they should count as "posts" proper. I'd argue not.

Then your problem is not just with Twistory.  It is with AutumnLeaf and perhaps others. 

Indeed. Hopefully it doesn't end up materially affecting the results.

[cinyc]

I re-rechecked AutumnLeaf's posting history, and he doesn't meet the activity requirement.  The posts on May 25 don't count, so he only has 5 posts in the relevant period.

After speaking with the SoFE, I also will have to invalidate Oakvale vote for not being a resident of the Northeast 7 days (168 hours) before the election.  He registered on the Friday a week before the election.  SoFE homelycooking indicated that he usually uses a 168 hour standard, requiring a move or registration on or before the Thursday the week before the election.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

July 28, 2015

FORMER PRESIDENT NAMED DEPUTY SoEA
---
Says Department Will Be "Active, Focussed, and Assertive"

Carson City, NV - Just under five months after the end of his presidency, Lumine Von Reuental is once again in Nyman, where an unexpected turn of events has catapulted him back into the national government. At his request, I met with the former president yesterday afternoon to discuss his new role as Deputy Secretary of External Affairs under SoEA Kalwejt. The following is a transcript of our conversation.

Harry S Truman: Historically, foreign policy tends to move to the back burner in times of domestic unrest. How will you and Secretary Kalwejt maintain Atlasia's global presence in these troubled times, and what role (if any) will the Department play in the ongoing debate over Atlasia's future?

Lumine Von Reuental: I wouldn't say it's moved to the back burned in times of domestic unrest, it's a sad truth in Atlasia (and let's face it, this might happen in the Mock Parliament too) that foreign affairs are ignored by most people. But if we want proof of Atlasia's global presence and prestige you only need to look at the many foreign reactions to the recent crisis.

Foreign leaders praise Kalwejt with just reason, and the fact that they do shows clearly how important Atlasia is to the world despite everything. The broad public might ignore these issues from time to time, but maintaining our global presence only requires the will and the work to lead. We saw that with Superique, we shall see it under the current department.

I would abstain, however, in saying that the Department has a role in that debate. Running foreign affairs is the priority, and those discussions are best left to the Senate and the citizenry.

HST: It's a fairly interesting time to be in the Department of External Affairs, with situations in Greece, Ukraine, and the Middle East demanding Atlasia's attention. What will be your general approach to these situations?

LVR: Why, I'd say it always is an interesting time for foreign affairs! I obviously can't speak for the Secretary, but the main spirit common to us both is that these situations have to be dealt with not only with speed, but with coordination.

Once the GM returns I expect to be engaged on negotiations with him to simulate the tasks that need to be done, and while I can't comment on overall policy on intervention (as that depends on the President), I can assure the public that with the current Secretary heading the Department the approach will be active, focused and assertive.

HST: You famously brokered a deal with Russia during your time as Atlasia's president. What is your view of Russian-Atlasian relations today?

LVR: It was a deal decried by many people, but the objective behind it was to secure some degree of peace into a region that was spiraling into what could have been open war. And from that point of view, it worked, even if President Putin will often look for ways of getting that deal modified.

One of the things that can be argued about past months is that Russia has been neglected, and hopefully the upcoming weeks will serve to see how that relationship stands and what is going on with the Ukraine situation. One must never underestimate the advantages of a competent GM!

HST: Does the Administration plan to establish diplomatic relations with the emerging South American federation [ie: the Mock Parliament board]?

LVR: I can't talk for the Administration; I do not consider myself a true member of it as I just work for the State Department and under Kalwejt. Personally speaking, I'd be open to establish a relationship once the smoke clears and we get a clear view of what's going on.

HST: Recently, several prominent Atlasians - including President Bore - have called for the outright dissolution of Atlasia. What is your view on this issue, as a private citizen and as a member of the Administration?

LVR: Not going to lie, I consider that view a few weeks ago. Still, I care too much for the game for me to consider outright dissolution, and as long as there's a chance I'll try to fight for the reforms that might improve the game.

It obviously doesn't help when people throw in the towel, and we have lost brilliant officeholders and players due to this sense of stagnation and dissatisfaction, but it's always worth a try. I do wish Blair had stayed, his loss will hurt the Senate greatly.

If anything, I hope the administration will be assertive in its role to try and lead some degree of reform, because they were elected by the Atlasian people to, well, do their duty.

PIKACHU ELECTED NORTHEAST GOVERNOR

New York City, NY - In a hotly contested race, Acting Governor Pikachu (TPP-NJ) won a narrow victory in last weekend's special gubernatorial election, defeating At-Large Senator Blair (formerly Lab-MA) by a single vote in the final round.  The election was triggered by the impromptu removal of longtime Governor SawxDem (formerly TPP-NH), who was banned from the forum following revelations that he was a sock account of banned poster Alexander Hamilton (another of Hamilton's sock accounts, former Atlasian President Napoleon, was banned earlier this year).

In addition to Mr. Blair, Pikachu was opposed Supreme Court Justice Oakvale and Assembly Speaker Evergreen. In particular, Mr. Oakvale - who campaigned as the candidate of "Vote Oakvale For An Independent Northeast" - ran reasonably well against the two major party candidates, drawing support from veteran Atlasians and members of the Dissolution Movement. Mr. Evergreen, the lone member of the Uncultured Marxist Party, carried the state of New Hampshire in the first round but failed to win enough votes to progress further.

Mr. Blair, who was the only candidate to actively campaign for the office, received support from voters across the political spectrum, including conservatives such as former Northeast Governor Winfield (Ind-RI), Game Moderator Dkrolga (CR-MA), and perennial candidate Poirot (Ind-QC). After conceding the race early yesterday morning, he announced his resignation from the Senate and promptly deregistered as an Atlasian citizen, stating that "there appears to be nothing left to fight for."

Mr. Pikachu swore into office yesterday afternoon.

The Mideast Record-Courier's Registration Tracker

With Registrar General Adam Griffin temporarily banned from the forum, the Mideast Record-Courier has launched its own Registration Tracker. Each week for as long as this situation continues, the Record-Courier will publish unofficial tallies tracking changes in voter registration, which will be published at the above link.

DISCLAIMER: The Mideast Record-Courier's Registration Tracker is not in any way affiliated with the Census Bureau or the Bore Administration. All tallies and other statistics are strictly unofficial.

[TJ in Oregon]

Only in Atlasia would we have a bill entitled the 'Family Farm Act' that starts off with legalized hemp growing as its first provision

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Truman, you need to print a correction.

As far I am aware at this time, the whole "Sawx was Hamilton" is false. It was an IRC joke that spread to AAD then back here. Sawx was banned following an unfortunate exchange with Snowstalker, that involved threats being communicated. Also both Hamilton and Sawx have been on IRC at that same time, which would require two seperate computers and make interacting very difficult.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Truman, you need to print a correction.

As far I am aware at this time, the whole "Sawx was Hamilton" is false. It was an IRC joke that spread to AAD then back here. Sawx was banned following an unfortunate exchange with Snowstalker, that involved threats being communicated. Also both Hamilton and Sawx have been on IRC at that same time, which would require two seperate computers and make interacting very difficult.

My apologies. I admittedly did not research the 'Sawx is Hamilton' assertion as much as I should have, and simply assumed that the rumors floating around in his office thread were true. I'll make sure to verify such assertions in the future before printing them here.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

August 18, 2015

PUSH FOR NEW CONSTITUTION GAINS MOMENTUM
---
Petition Nears Signature Threshold; Senate Passes Amendment To Ease Process

Senate Speaker Cris (CR-KS), here speaking at a town hall meeting in his native Midwest, has been amongst the strongest voices for a Constitutional Convention.

NYMAN, D.C. - After weeks of dogged activism, the movement to call a national Constitutional Convention appeared to be on the verge of success Monday evening, with grassroots organizers  working feverishly to secure the four outstanding signatures needed to trigger a convention even as a more indirect route to writing a new Constitution gained traction in the Senate. It now seems increasingly likely that the proposed convention will move forward as a growing number of prominent statesmen lending their influence to the pro-convention cause.

Begun over a month ago by Pacific Speaker Classic Conservative, the citizen petition to call a Constitutional Convention is now just four signatures short of the number needed to begin the process of rewriting Atlasia's governing document. Per the existing federal Constitution, a majority of registered voters in three of the five Regions is needed to call a Convention. So far, this requirement has been met only in the Pacific, while the Northeast and the South are each two signatures short of the threshold. Hoping to finally close the gap, a number of Atlasia's most talented political organizers and a growing number of revered elder statesmen have mounted an aggressive PM campaign, but so far the needed signatures remain elusive as the number of active voters who have not already signed the petition sharply declines.

Hoping to solve this conundrum and to hasten the progress of organizing the convention, the Senate passed a Constitutional Amendment on Sunday that, if ratified by 4/5 of the Regions, would allow the national legislature to call for a Constitutional Convention independently. Sponsored by Senate Speaker Cris (CR-KS) and Northeast Senator Rpryor (CR-NJ), the amendment would allow the legislature to call a Convention by a majority vote, while preserving the traditional petition process. As of press time, preliminary counts indicated that the "Aye" vote is far ahead in every Region where Constitutional Amendments are ratified by public referendum. In the South, where proposed Amendments are ratified by the Regional Legislature, lawmakers have not yet begun to vote on the proposal.

MIDTERM ELECTIONS APPROACH
At-Large Senate Seats, Plus Regional Races in South and Northeast

MEMPHIS, TN - Elections for a variety of offices will take place this weekend, as Atlasians head to the polls to select the men who will guide the delicate process of national reconstruction. At the federal level, all five of the At-Large seats in the Atlasian Senate will be on the ballot for the first time since April, though two intervening special elections have altered the composition of the second class of senators since the last midterm elections. Currently, three of the five incumbents - former Secretary of External Affairs Kalwejt of the Labor Party, Senate Speaker Cris of Civic Renewal, and "Eternal Senator" N.C. Yankee of the Federalists - have filed to run for reelection, while a fourth - elder statesman Polnut of TPP - has declined to seek reelection. In addition, Northeast Speaker Evergreen of the Northeast National Party has filed to appear on the ballot, while a number of other prospective candidates - such as perennial candidate Poirot (Ind-QC), former Game Moderator Dkrolga (CR-MA), and Mideast Speaker Harry S Truman (TPP-IN) - could potentially receive votes as well.

The election is likely to serve both as a referendum on President Bore, whose popularity has plummeted in recent weeks, and as a measure of just how prevalent support for a Constitutional Convention is. All three of the incumbents seeking reelection have announced their support for a new Constitution and campaigned publicly for the measure, forming part of the multipartisan coalition that has emerged to support Constitutional reform. Mr. Evergreen has not formally taken a position on the proposed Convention.

In addition to the Senate race, a fair number of Regional offices will be up for election as well. The most hotly contested of these has been the Southern gubernatorial race, which has pitted Legislative Co-Speaker Darthebearnc (TPP-NC) against freshman Legislator Leinad (DR-GA). With both candidates on record in support of a Constitutional Convention, the race will likely come down to a question of activity and ideology, with Mr. Leinad drawing support from conservatives and libertarians and Mr. Darthebearnc enjoying the backing of the center-left. Third party candidate Somebody Who Exists of Puerto Rico will also appear on the ballot and is expected to draw support from the dwindling Dissolution Movement.

[SUSAN CRUSHBONE]

Ms. Evergreen has not formally taken a position on the proposed Convention.

i was one of the first signatories

not that it was my first choice, but at this point i'm supporting pretty much any effort at reform

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

August 26, 2015

CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS HOLDS SENATE
---

Center-Right Incumbents Reelected; TPP Narrowly Holds Seat
---
NNP Wins Plurality in Northeast Leg.; Leinad Elected in South

Senate Speaker Cris celebrates his reelection to a third full term

NYMAN, D.C. - In a resounding victory for Atlasian conservatives, all three center-right senators won reelection in last weekend's midterm election, delivering a public vote of confidence in the new conservative majority that previously owed its strength to a string of special election victories and executive appointments over the past month. Conservative politicians likewise enjoyed success at the local level, with Federalist Legislator and reform advocate Leinad defeating TPP candidate Dearthebearnc in the Region's hotly contested gubernatorial election, handing the Federalists complete control of the South for the first time since former Governor Flo's election eight months ago.

The midterm elections were plagued by low turnout of historic proportions, with barely half the country making their way to the polls to vote in the At-Large race. Turnout was even worse for down-ballot races in the Northeast, where more than 70% of the electorate failed to cast a ballot in the Regional legislative election that was conducted simultaneously with the federal vote.

Incumbent Senators North Carolina Yankee (Fed-NC), Kalwejt (Lab-OH), and Senate Speaker Cris (CR-KS), all won reelection fairly easy, claiming enough votes to surpass the quota on the first ballot. The remaining seats were a different matter, with incumbent Senator Altsomn Stmarken (Fed-ME), Northeast Speaker Evergreen (NNP-ME), and write-in candidate Harry S Truman (TPP-IN) all having potential to win one of the two available seats. After transfers, results published by the Department of Federal Elections showed Mr. Stmarken being elected on the second ballot, while Mr. Truman narrowly defeated Speaker Evergreen for the fifth spot. This marked the first time that a write-in candidate had won a seat in the Senate since August 2011.

First preference results of the Senate election, which saw the governing center-right coalition hold its three At-Large seats.

At the Regional level, freshman Legislator Leinad (Fed-GA) defeated Legislative Co-Speaker Darthebearnc (TPP-NC) by a wide margin, becoming the first Federalist to be elected chief executive of the Region in nearly a year and the first since 2010 to have never gone by the title "Emperor". In the Northeast, meanwhile, the pro-independent Northeast National Party gained effective control of the Regional legislature, winning enough seats to control a majority provided Lt. Governor DemPGH can be persuaded to support the party's agenda.

Those elected in the At-Large Senate election will take office on Friday.

THE CASE FOR INDEPENDENCE
Northeast Speaker Names Benefits of Separation

AUGUSTA, ME - Though denied a seat in the Senate after one of the closest midterm campaigns in recent months, Northeast Speaker Evergreen has no intention of remaining on the sidelines as Atlasians prepare to rebuild their battered Republic. At her suggestion, I met with the legislator over the weekend in her native city of Augusta, where we discussed her vision for Atlasia's future and the curious phenomenon that is Northeast nationalism.

Harry S Truman: You recently registered with the Northeast National Party, which supports establishing the Northeast as an independent country. Do you think this is an achievable goal?

Evergreen: I think it's unlikely to happen - Atlasia is structurally very difficult to change (see, of course, how we still haven't managed to scrape together enough signatures for a ConCon despite virtually unanimous agreement among active players). That's not to say that it's impossible, of course. And this is something that I'm willing to put a lot of effort into, and I think [NNP founder] Clyde is as well.

HST: What would be the benefits of independence for your Region?

E: It'd be a chance to build a new country, without all the ossified trappings of Atlasia. That, combined with the fact that we would get actual foreign policy, would undoubtedly lead to a new surge of activity. Regarding specifically the Northeast, we would be decoupling ourselves from some chronically unstable regions. An independent Northeast would be much more stable than we are now.

HST: As a member of the Northeast Assembly, you introduced the DOME Act, which would establish new environmental regulations in your Region. What do you say to those who argue that, in this time of national crisis, the environment is the least of our concerns?

E: I would say that that's entirely backwards. [If] we don't do something about the environment soon, we can scratch literally everything else off our list, because it's gonna be irrelevant in a few generations. On that topic, I do have a radical proposal that I plan to introduce if elected to the Senate.

HST: You were one of the first to sign the Constitutional Convention petition. What do you hope to see in a new Constitution, should we get one?

E: My big goal at this point is, obviously, to create mechanisms allowing regions to secede, and to have more interregional interaction in general. Failing that, I would go in the opposite direction, and abolish regions altogether, maybe in favor of 10-15 constituencies with no governments of their own. The point is, the current regional system is trash, and changing the number of regions isn't gonna fix it. Either of those would be controversial changes, obviously. Another change I support has been talked about before is a legislative reboot. Previous constitutions have included the following clause:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

It's my firm opinion that an eventual new constitution should not include anything to this effect.