Electoral Reform Amendment (Passed)

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

So basically it turns back the clock to 2008 (without getting us Grissom and Warrick back on CSI I would add, which is a travesty).


I am not certain about this, and the complexity of the district process is my biggest concern right now. As homely pointed out there are a number of pitfalls where it could fail and if thats the case, we need to have addressed as many of them as possible in advance so as to avoid them if we are truly determined to head down this path.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

AYE FTR

Though I am still leaning nay on the underlying legislation as of right now.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

I guess AYE

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

AYE

Part of me would prefer if the Governors didn't comprise the commission since theoretically, these seats have to represent the popular interests of the whole nation and whilst a regionalist, I have always considered myself someone in favor of a balance of a powers and thus way back when proposals for an all regional Senate were put forth in the RPP I opposed them when not accompanied with a bicameral lower house. I would worry the same would apply here depending on what the governing motivation of the Governors is obviously. The good of the region (Which their job description demands) and the good of the system (which this kind of would depend upon) and those two obligations might conflict at points.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

What happened with that amendment?

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Good point. It could be rather daunting and thus overwhelming for one person to tackle.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Abstain

I don't really have an opinion on whether or not to demand continguous districts and as Adam said, such will probably never be necessary because Canada sllows more manuevering room obviously.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Wouldn't it be better to just make it August period. The districts will take time to sort out and such forth and rushing it to try for April may not be wise.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

Wouldn't it be better to just make it August period. The districts will take time to sort out and such forth and rushing it to try for April may not be wise.

That's the amendment I have proposed Yankee .

The "Following" part implies following passage no? That would be April unless this takes longer obviously.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

In addition to what homely says, it's worth pointing out that although there is this idea (which does appear sensible in theory) that at large elections allow more extreme atlasians to get in, in fact I don't think this is supported by the facts.

TNF has views incredibly far to the left of the average atlasian, yet he has been re elected repeatedly, Deus was one or two votes away from defeating me in the centre left northeast, the mideast before windjammer saw a long line of social conservatives who's views are noticeably to the right of atlasia. In the last few years we have had, as regional senators, atlasia's most socially conservative, most libertarian and most left wing members.

Yes, but Xahar and JCL both got elected as At-Large, I don't think either would have made it into a regional Senator seat though. JCL might have won in early 2014, but their was always a close liberal bloc that would peal off the swing votes that DC or TJ could win and defeat a JCL. The Regional Senate seats have a long history of encouraging less partisan and/or less ideologiclal results because you have to represent the region and unless that region is overwhelmingly lopsided that means appealing to Independents and moderates and so forth. Even the Mideast was rarely that lopsided and a Ben or a HappyWarrior could take it at various points and hold it until retiring.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

The At-Large election has some advantages. It is one big electoral event that is for all the nation, the only one aside from the presidential election. It usually gets high participation. Since it is one national election it is easier to organize a debate and have the focus on that. Since it is addressed to all voters it is worth doing a public campaign for a candidate. For candidates it is a chance to come in contact with people in all the nation. At-Large offers a different way for someone to enter the Senate while districts are more identical regional Senate election. Someone who is not popular or not well-known or who is less mainstream but backed by a big party can be elected in At-Large.

The at-large elections are, on the other hand, increasingly rarely competitive. The two most recent elections have featured six candidates running for five seats, with little doubt as to whom the five elected would be. This is often due to the fact that no major party has ever won more than two seats at a general at-large election, or has ever been foolish enough to consciously risk splitting their candidates' vote three ways.

Though not necessarily a major party, The Democratic Alliance won three in an election. And several parties have tried for three seats, including Labor if I am not mistaken, as well as the Federalists, RPP, JCP and some others.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

You know what I am going to do now!!!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4wY-FhBArw&feature=player_detailpage#t=27

R E L U C T A N T  N A Y FTR and FTW bitches!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4wY-FhBArw&feature=player_detailpage#t=38

Say hello to Senator Sassy Yankee.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

At least I wasn't part of a mass resignation that tanked the Senate for a spell after defeating an incumbent for inactivity the previous fall.


Also mass resignation was routinely suggested tactic in the RPP, something else you guys inherited from our moderate wing.