Northeast Election Law Codification Commission

[cinyc]

The Northeast Election Law Codification Commission is called to order.  The members of the commission are myself, Speaker RGN and the governor's appointee, Poirot. 

I think the best way to start is to try to go through our old election laws and post them to this thread, along with the date of the law, so we can first figure out which laws are currently on the books before proposing changes.  Does anyone disagree?

[cinyc]

Assembly special elections:

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Around June 18, 2015.

[cinyc]

Special Elections, Generally (Partially superceded):

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Around September 21, 2014

But this was repealed by the Assembly Special Elections Act 2014, signed into law on November 30, 2014, which was supeceded by the 2015 Act I quoted above.  So we can forget about both 2014 laws.  The 2015 law governs.

[cinyc]

Special Elections, Regional Senate Seat:

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Around November 27, 2013

[cinyc]

Gubernatorial Special Elections are governed by Article III, Sections 6-7 of the Northeast Constitution:

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The text comes from a November 2012 amendment to the consittution, found here.  Assuming the wiki is up to date, there have been no subsequent amendments, though someone should probably check the voting booths to be sure.

[cinyc]

Text of Voting Booth, 2014:

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2. When a referendum is placed on the ballot, the following language shall be inserted:

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[/quote]

December 3, 2014

[cinyc]

Explanations for Constitutional Amendments to be publicly posted:

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February 25, 2015

[cinyc]

Northeast election counting rules:

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July 3, 2015

[cinyc]

Not allowed to edit Northeast regional votes:

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July 28, 2011

[cinyc]

Candidacy Declaration Act:

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Sixteenth Assembly.  2012.  Linked thread on Wiki deleted.  It was attempted to be repealed in March 2014 here.  The repeal bill was ultimately tabled by its sponsor.

[cinyc]

Original Northeastern Voting Regulations:

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November 2004

[cinyc]

Official Ballot Language Act:

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About December 26, 2012

[cinyc]

That's what I've found so far.  I will continue searching later this week.  I encourage the other members of the committee to search for legislation, too.  I'm not certain that we've found all of it.

In particular, The wiki is missing any legislation from the Twenty-Third Assembly
and Twenty-Fourth Assembly, which, based on legislation in the previous and subsequent Assemblies, should have been from around August 2013 to the beginning of 2014.  It is also missing more recent Assemblies, but I don't think they passed any election laws other than creating this commission.  And of course, the Wiki could be wrong, as it was on the text of the ballot editing law, which I've since updated.

[cinyc]

Has anyone found any other laws that I missed?  Maybe we should continue our search until Friday to make sure we've gotten everything.

Then, we should discuss the next step.  I guess I can draft the combined bill and then we can debate changes.

[Poirot]

I've been reviewing the regional board for the period between July 2013 and January 2014. I came across the Amendment to the Senate vacancy Act of November 2013 already posted.

There is the Supremacy Act (July 2013) that is a reminder regional election law must meet federal regulation at a minimum.

The Supremacy Act

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[cinyc]

Good catch!  Frankly, I don't even know how or when to apply the Supremacy Act.  Do you have a link to the Assembly debate?

[Poirot]

There were two constitutional amendments in early 2014 about the December elections date so the regional election is on the same date as the federal election.

In January 2014, the Uniform December Election Day amendment
https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=184820.msg3997225#msg3997225

Uniform December Election Day Amendment

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The Uniform Election Day Amendment in February 2014.
https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=187341.msg4049724#msg4049724

Uniform Election Day Amendment

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[Poirot]

Good catch!  Frankly, I don't even know how or when to apply the Supremacy Act.  Do you have a link to the Assembly debate?

https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=176773.0

Not much debate. The Supreme Court is cited. Maybe it was after a Court case with the IDS election laws.

[cinyc]

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Passed as a proposition 14-1 - December 2007.

[Poirot]

There was a Report of the Statutory Review Commission adopted in May 2011.
https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=102877.msg2904258#msg2904258

It amended the Campaigning for Invalidation of Votes Initiative:

10. Subsections 1 and 2 of Section 1 of the The Campaigning for Invalidation of Votes Initiative are amended as follows:

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Number 22 modifies the Vacancy Filling Act but I think that Act is no longer valid.

The other topic related to elections law is:

9. The Preferential Voting Act is amended as follows:

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[Former Lincoln Assemblyman & Lt. Gov. RGN]

I will just participate when we debated about the bills. My heavy work schedule prevents me from staying long in the computer.

[Poirot]

The Vacancy Filling Act was repealed in September 2014 along with the Vacancy Mitigation Act.
https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=198568.msg4305286#msg4305286

The Northeastern Debate Act was repealed in April 2014.
https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=190518.0

[Poirot]

On the topic or recalls, there is on the wiki a Recall Amendment dated from 2007.
https://uselectionatlas.org/AFEWIKI/index.php/Recall_Amendment

I found a Recall Amendment of (March) 2011 that would repeal the above recall text but I'm not sure if it was adopted.
https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=132696.15
It is on the wiki but no date of ratification.
https://uselectionatlas.org/AFEWIKI/index.php/The_Recall_Amendment_of_2011

Recall was included in Article IV of the October 2011 Northeast Constitution.
https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=137342.msg3053049#msg3053049

[Poirot]

As pointes out in June 2013, the amendment to lower the percentage needed to change the regional constitution did not pass.
https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=162633.msg3772107#msg3772107

[Poirot]

In August 2015, voters approved a few changes related to elections.

A maximum of two consecutive full terms for Governor.
https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=217011.0

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[/quote]

A residency requirement for Governor.
https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=216256.0

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[/quote]

A competitive amendment for the number of seats.
https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=215792.0

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2. Article II, Clause 14 of the Northeast Constitution shall be amended to read:

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[/quote]

And the patchwork amendment changes the text in many articles.
https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=215572.msg4657128#msg4657128