Atlasian Registration System Reform Bill

[WiseGuy]

Since I am the author of this bill, I thought I might answer some of the comments.

This seems overly bureaucratic. Remember this is a game, and should only be overly regulated for things that are important (voter fraud, elections, etc), not choosing a party.

I wrote this bill back when some people were complaining about the Republican and Democratic parties, and how they were getting members just because of their names.  It was a way to appease those people and still keep the Republican party's name, but Keystone changed it before the bill could be voted on.

I still think this bill is a good idea, though, because I think it will help prevent us from having the same problem in the future, and I think it will help with the troll and voter fraud problems by focusing people's attention on new registrants.

Might I also suggest that we should not require any parties to participate? Obviously, any sensible party would, but forcing them to do so might run into constitutional hurdles.

I agree.  The original intent of that clause was to ensure that Party chairmen didn't shirk and expect the SoFA to do their work for them, but I see that it can be easily misinterpreted.

[Jake]

This bill is a perfect example of regulating things that do not need to be regulated. Have the person register and then the chairman can recruit them at will in the thread. Do not make a law about it and do not make this process harder than it has to be.

[Sam Spade]

Per True Democrat, Emsworth, Dubya and others, I am just going to rewrite the bill as one huge amendment and will mark the changes in bold.

There is one comment I would like to make on earlier stated things. 

I do not think people would be unduly influenced to register Independent.  The giving of information to people the option to register Independent is something I worked out legally the first time when hughento and Dubya came to me with suggestions on this legislation. 

However, considering the options laid out in front of me, I would choose that voters are just given the option of registering Independent from Political Party, not any information packets on it, since our Independent population here is rather divers.

As a caution against that and other Constitutional questions, I have made it so voters who do not contact the SoFA will be designated Unaffliated, but will still have the right to vote, per the Constitution and Senate laws.

Also, as looking through the document, the exclusion of parties (Section 2, Clause 2) who do not give information under this law is quite Constitutional (Article 5, Section 1, Clause 8 ), but I will be willing to enter suggestions as to whether it should be included or not. (as I don't know about this myself)

Atlasian Registration System Reform Bill

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Purpose of the Legislation

The purpose of this legislation is to renovate the antiquated Atlasian registration system in order to handle new problems and challenges.

Section One – Political Party Registration

1.   Anyone with the legally required number of posts as specified by activity requirements so laid by the Constitution of the Republic of Atlasia, may register to vote in Atlasian Federal Elections in a Registration thread maintained by the Secretary of Forum Affairs (to be known further in this document as the SoFA) but may not affiliate with any Political Party or register as an Independent.

2.   Upon registration as a citizen in Atlasia, the SoFA shall provide the new registrant with an information packet on the Political Parties in Atlasia sent in a Private Message to said new registrant, along with advising said new registrant of the option of registering as an Independent.

3.  This Private Message must be approved by all National Chairmen of Political Parties who have submitted information packets before being used publicly to send to new registrants.

4.  A reasonable amount of time for fulfilling such a request should be no greater than seven (7) days since said new registrant officially registered to vote, unless the SoFA has publicly declared his/her absence from the forum for a given period of time.

5.  If the SoFA has publicly declared such an absence, the Deputy Secretary of Forum Affairs shall have the power and authorization to carry out all necessary provisions of this document.

6.   If there has been no publicly declared absence from SoFA and the new registrant has not received a Private Message within seven (7) days of his/her registration, said new registrant may file a Complaint in Federal Court against the SoFA.  All defendants named by this Complaint may be subject to legal action pursuant to the relevant clauses in federal Criminal Law legislation so passed by the Senate.

7.   After the new registrant has received a Private Message with an information packet from the SoFA, said new registrant shall contact the SoFA and notify them of their chosen Political Party affiliation or whether he/she wishes to register as an Independent. 

8.  Until such contact has occurred, the new registrant shall remain Unaffliated from Political Party affiliation.  Said new registrant, although Unaffliated from Political Party affliation, shall retain his Constitutional rights to vote in elections, as per Article 5, Section 2, Clauses 3 and 4 of the Constitution and any appropriate Senate legislation.

9.   After the new registrant has chosen a Political Party affiliation or has chosen to register as an Independent, said new registrant shall be allowed to switch Political Party affiliations or choose to become Independent from Political Party affiliation at any time without following the steps laid out in Clauses 1 through 4 of this Section. 

10.  Affiliation changes may only be allowed by public post in the Registration thread maintained by the SoFA.

Section Two – Information Packets on Political Parties

1.   Each and every Political Party in Atlasia with any currently active members on the registration rolls shall have the right create a information packet to show to all new registrants and shall be strongly advised to do so, but shall not be required to create such an information packet for the purposes of this document.

2.   The SoFA maintains the right at all times to exclude information on Political Parties in Atlasia who have not provided information packets on their Political Party from any and all new registrants.

3.   Information packets should include, but may not be limited to the following:

a.   Contact information for all leadership members, especially including National Chairmen, as well as any respected individuals within said Party.
b.   Links to the present Platform of the Party.
c.   Links to the Party Website and Forum. (if applicable)
d.   A short simple statement describing the Party’s goals and its ideals.

Section Three – Legal Parameters

This legislation shall go into effect after the conclusion of the next scheduled Federal Election following its passage into law.  All citizens legally registered to vote before this date will not be subject to the above-stated requirements.  If a citizen loses his voter registration per the activity laws so legislated by the Senate after said legislation has gone into effect, said citizen will be required to fulfill the requirements of said legislation.

[Colin]

Looks good Sam. Closes up alot of loopholes in the earlier bill.

[WiseGuy]

I like it.

[Gabu]

Sam: is the above basically one giant amendment that you want us to vote on?

[Joe Republic]

If this passes, I wouldn't mind being the one who gets to write the info packet for the Independents.

[Sam Spade]

If this passes, I wouldn't mind being the one who gets to write the info packet for the Independents.

I actually removed that in the new version because True Democrat said it would be unduly influencing people to register Independent.

But y'all will still get a strong mention in the packet.

[Sam Spade]

Sam: is the above basically one giant amendment that you want us to vote on?

Yes.  It's essentially a rewrite to deal with qualms people had on the bill.

[Sam Spade]

Can we get a vote on the (giant) amendment?

[MasterJedi]

Can we get a vote on the (giant) amendment?

I'll also second this.

[Gabu]

Okay, I open voting on the following amendment:

Atlasian Registration System Reform Bill

[/b]



Purpose of the Legislation

The purpose of this legislation is to renovate the antiquated Atlasian registration system in order to handle new problems and challenges.

Section One – Political Party Registration

1.   Anyone with the legally required number of posts as specified by activity requirements so laid by the Constitution of the Republic of Atlasia, may register to vote in Atlasian Federal Elections in a Registration thread maintained by the Secretary of Forum Affairs (to be known further in this document as the SoFA) but may not affiliate with any Political Party or register as an Independent.

2.   Upon registration as a citizen in Atlasia, the SoFA shall provide the new registrant with an information packet on the Political Parties in Atlasia sent in a Private Message to said new registrant, along with advising said new registrant of the option of registering as an Independent.

3.  This Private Message must be approved by all National Chairmen of Political Parties who have submitted information packets before being used publicly to send to new registrants.

4.  A reasonable amount of time for fulfilling such a request should be no greater than seven (7) days since said new registrant officially registered to vote, unless the SoFA has publicly declared his/her absence from the forum for a given period of time.

5.  If the SoFA has publicly declared such an absence, the Deputy Secretary of Forum Affairs shall have the power and authorization to carry out all necessary provisions of this document.

6.   If there has been no publicly declared absence from SoFA and the new registrant has not received a Private Message within seven (7) days of his/her registration, said new registrant may file a Complaint in Federal Court against the SoFA.  All defendants named by this Complaint may be subject to legal action pursuant to the relevant clauses in federal Criminal Law legislation so passed by the Senate.

7.   After the new registrant has received a Private Message with an information packet from the SoFA, said new registrant shall contact the SoFA and notify them of their chosen Political Party affiliation or whether he/she wishes to register as an Independent. 

8.  Until such contact has occurred, the new registrant shall remain Unaffliated from Political Party affiliation.  Said new registrant, although Unaffliated from Political Party affliation, shall retain his Constitutional rights to vote in elections, as per Article 5, Section 2, Clauses 3 and 4 of the Constitution and any appropriate Senate legislation.

9.   After the new registrant has chosen a Political Party affiliation or has chosen to register as an Independent, said new registrant shall be allowed to switch Political Party affiliations or choose to become Independent from Political Party affiliation at any time without following the steps laid out in Clauses 1 through 4 of this Section. 

10.  Affiliation changes may only be allowed by public post in the Registration thread maintained by the SoFA.

Section Two – Information Packets on Political Parties

1.   Each and every Political Party in Atlasia with any currently active members on the registration rolls shall have the right create a information packet to show to all new registrants and shall be strongly advised to do so, but shall not be required to create such an information packet for the purposes of this document.

2.   The SoFA maintains the right at all times to exclude information on Political Parties in Atlasia who have not provided information packets on their Political Party from any and all new registrants.

3.   Information packets should include, but may not be limited to the following:

a.   Contact information for all leadership members, especially including National Chairmen, as well as any respected individuals within said Party.
b.   Links to the present Platform of the Party.
c.   Links to the Party Website and Forum. (if applicable)
d.   A short simple statement describing the Party’s goals and its ideals.

Section Three – Legal Parameters

This legislation shall go into effect after the conclusion of the next scheduled Federal Election following its passage into law.  All citizens legally registered to vote before this date will not be subject to the above-stated requirements.  If a citizen loses his voter registration per the activity laws so legislated by the Senate after said legislation has gone into effect, said citizen will be required to fulfill the requirements of said legislation.

All senators in favor, vote "aye"; all against, vote "nay".

[Sam Spade]

Aye.

[MasterJedi]

Aye

[Colin]

Aye

[Gabu]

Aye.

[PBrunsel]

Aye

[DanielX]

Aye.

[jokerman]

Aye

[12th Doctor]

Aye

[King]

Aye

[Gabu]

With nine votes in favor to none against, this amendment has passed.

[MasterJedi]

Well this amendment has passed I'd like to:

Motion for a vote on this bill.

[Sam Spade]

To be more honest now, since the Official Senate Procedural Resolution has passed, I would like to call for a motion to break cloture (since 5 days have passed, and since debate did not end 24 hours ago) and call this bill to a vote.

[Gabu]

Well, I didn't see this topic until the 24 hours had already expired, so let's just get a vote going.

The bill's final form is as follows:

Atlasian Registration System Reform Bill

[/b]



Purpose of the Legislation

The purpose of this legislation is to renovate the antiquated Atlasian registration system in order to handle new problems and challenges.

Section One – Political Party Registration

1.   Anyone with the legally required number of posts as specified by activity requirements so laid by the Constitution of the Republic of Atlasia, may register to vote in Atlasian Federal Elections in a Registration thread maintained by the Secretary of Forum Affairs (to be known further in this document as the SoFA) but may not affiliate with any Political Party or register as an Independent.

2.   Upon registration as a citizen in Atlasia, the SoFA shall provide the new registrant with an information packet on the Political Parties in Atlasia sent in a Private Message to said new registrant, along with advising said new registrant of the option of registering as an Independent.

3.  This Private Message must be approved by all National Chairmen of Political Parties who have submitted information packets before being used publicly to send to new registrants.

4.  A reasonable amount of time for fulfilling such a request should be no greater than seven (7) days since said new registrant officially registered to vote, unless the SoFA has publicly declared his/her absence from the forum for a given period of time.

5.  If the SoFA has publicly declared such an absence, the Deputy Secretary of Forum Affairs shall have the power and authorization to carry out all necessary provisions of this document.

6.   If there has been no publicly declared absence from SoFA and the new registrant has not received a Private Message within seven (7) days of his/her registration, said new registrant may file a Complaint in Federal Court against the SoFA.  All defendants named by this Complaint may be subject to legal action pursuant to the relevant clauses in federal Criminal Law legislation so passed by the Senate.

7.   After the new registrant has received a Private Message with an information packet from the SoFA, said new registrant shall contact the SoFA and notify them of their chosen Political Party affiliation or whether he/she wishes to register as an Independent.

8.  Until such contact has occurred, the new registrant shall remain Unaffliated from Political Party affiliation.  Said new registrant, although Unaffliated from Political Party affliation, shall retain his Constitutional rights to vote in elections, as per Article 5, Section 2, Clauses 3 and 4 of the Constitution and any appropriate Senate legislation.

9.   After the new registrant has chosen a Political Party affiliation or has chosen to register as an Independent, said new registrant shall be allowed to switch Political Party affiliations or choose to become Independent from Political Party affiliation at any time without following the steps laid out in Clauses 1 through 4 of this Section. 

10.  Affiliation changes may only be allowed by public post in the Registration thread maintained by the SoFA.

Section Two – Information Packets on Political Parties

1.   Each and every Political Party in Atlasia with any currently active members on the registration rolls shall have the right create a information packet to show to all new registrants and shall be strongly advised to do so, but shall not be required to create such an information packet for the purposes of this document.

2.   The SoFA maintains the right at all times to exclude information on Political Parties in Atlasia who have not provided information packets on their Political Party from any and all new registrants.

3.   Information packets should include, but may not be limited to the following:

a.   Contact information for all leadership members, especially including National Chairmen, as well as any respected individuals within said Party.
b.   Links to the present Platform of the Party.
c.   Links to the Party Website and Forum. (if applicable)
d.   A short simple statement describing the Party’s goals and its ideals.

Section Three – Legal Parameters

This legislation shall go into effect after the conclusion of the next scheduled Federal Election following its passage into law.  All citizens legally registered to vote before this date will not be subject to the above-stated requirements.  If a citizen loses his voter registration per the activity laws so legislated by the Senate after said legislation has gone into effect, said citizen will be required to fulfill the requirements of said legislation.[/i]

I hereby open voting on this legislation.

All senators in favor, vote "aye"; all against, vote "nay".