The Mideast Record-Courier: LIVE Coverage of the October '16 Election

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Good Evening, and welcome to the Mideast Record-Courier's live coverage of the October '16 national election! Over the course next week, we here at the Courier will endeavor to keep you up-to-date with the latest results of the ongoing elections across the country, beginning tonight with the senatorial election currently in progress in the South.

Note the maps directly below this text. When voting begins in the presidential election this Friday, October 21, we will color the map according to which candidate is leading in each of the three regions. Regions where Justice Yankee is leading will be colored orange; regions where Senator Blair is leading will be colored red. The same color scheme will be used for the second map, which depicts the standing of the senatorial elections: here, orange denotes a Federalist win and red a Labor win. Should any third parties or write-in candidates be elected to the Senate, we will add additional colors to the map.

Many thanks and happy voting!

Harry S Truman
Editor, Mideast Record-Courier

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION - OCTOBER '16

YANKEE: 0%     BLAIR: 0%


SENATORIAL ELECTION - OCTOBER '16

FED: 1     LAB: 1

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

FOR SO SENATE (24% Turnout)
LAB: Peebs   7 (63.6%)
FED: Libertylover   4 (36.4%)

FOR SO SENATE - SPECIAL (24% Turnout)
LAB: S Gothic   6 (54.5%)
FED: JC Libertas   5 (45.5%)


Our first returns of the week come from the South, where both Senate seats are on the ballot due to the recent resignation of former Senator Tmthforu. In the race for the Class I seat, incumbent Senator Libertylover currently trails Congresswoman Peebs by a margin of nearly two to one; meanwhile, the special election for the vacant Class II seat is currently a dead heat between former Congressman JCL and challenger Southern Gothic. Both candidates in that race are sitting members of the Chamber of Delegates.

At this juncture, with less than a quarter of the vote in, it is still far too early to make any sort of projection. Early returns are favorable to the Labor Party, whose candidates currently lead among Independents and members of the fledgling Conservative Party; but with the vast majority of Southern Federalists still to vote, that advantage could vanish in the blink of an eye as the election continues. As of the most recent census, Federalists outnumbered Laborites 21 to 11 on the registered voter rolls, an advantage that no modern Laborite has yet managed to overcome.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

FOR SO SENATE (51% Turnout)
LAB: Peebs   12 (52.2%)
FED: Libertylover   11 (47.8%)

FOR SO SENATE - SPECIAL (51% Turnout)
LAB: S Gothic   12 (52.2%)
FED: JC Libertas   11 (47.8%)

FOR FE SENATE (8% Turnout)
FED: Goldwater   4 (100%)


With little over four hours left in the first day of balloting, more than half the total population of the South has made its way to the polls, and the race has narrowed considerably. Current tabulations show Laborites Peebs and Southern Gothic leading by a single vote apiece in their respective races, ahead of incumbent Senator Libertylover and Regional Delegate JCL. While thus far the Labor candidates have won support from unlikely suspects (such as Atlas Conservative Party leader Ben Kenobi and former Governor Spiral, an independent affiliated with the libertarian Democratic Republican Party), it remains to be seen whether they can withstand the enormous Federalist registration advantage in this region, an electoral reality that has so far allowed the right to win every region-wide election since consolidation.

In Fremont, former Senator Goldwater has thus far drawn no opponents in his bid to return to the Senate, though turnout remains very low. The Mideast Record-Courier does not project the outcome of any of these races at this time.

[Terry the Fat Shark]

Just a note that a few of the votes in the South are actually ineligible and thus the Federalists actually have a 2 vote lead right now in both races.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Just a note that a few of the votes in the South are actually ineligible and thus the Federalists actually have a 2 vote lead right now in both races.

Thanks - I'll adjust the numbers in the next update. Who are the invalid voters?

[President of the great nation of 🏳️‍⚧️]

Just a note that a few of the votes in the South are actually ineligible and thus the Federalists actually have a 2 vote lead right now in both races.

Thanks - I'll adjust the numbers in the next update. Who are the invalid voters?

TDAS (Fremont), Alex (not registered), and Steelers (hasn't posted often enough), I think.

[Pragmatic Conservative]

Just a note that a few of the votes in the South are actually ineligible and thus the Federalists actually have a 2 vote lead right now in both races.

Thanks - I'll adjust the numbers in the next update. Who are the invalid voters?

TDAS (Fremont), Alex (not registered), and Steelers (hasn't posted often enough), I think.

The above plus ZuWo (hasn't posted often enough)

[Blair]

Does the South have it's own election rules (because I'm 95% sure the Federal Election won't apply; as its technically a regional office)

[Pragmatic Conservative]

Does the South have it's own election rules (because I'm 95% sure the Federal Election won't apply; as its technically a regional office)

No the South does not have its own rules.

[Anna Komnene]

Does the South have it's own election rules (because I'm 95% sure the Federal Election won't apply; as its technically a regional office)

For people who aren't citizens of the South, I think the regional constitution is fairly clear that they wouldn't count. 

There probably isn't a posting requirement though (I'm opposed to posting requirements anyway).

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

For people who aren't citizens of the South, I think the regional constitution is fairly clear that they wouldn't count. 

There probably isn't a posting requirement though (I'm opposed to posting requirements anyway).

I'm pretty sure Siren is correct here. Per Article III, Section 4 of the Constitution, senatorial elections are regulated and administered by the Regions, which suggests that federal activity requirements would not apply. However, since TDAS and Alex are invalid due to citizenship requirements (neither is registered to vote in the South), removing the activity requirement does not effect the outcome of the election.

[White Trash]

For people who aren't citizens of the South, I think the regional constitution is fairly clear that they wouldn't count. 

There probably isn't a posting requirement though (I'm opposed to posting requirements anyway).

I'm pretty sure Siren is correct here. Per Article III, Section 4 of the Constitution, senatorial elections are regulated and administered by the Regions, which suggests that federal activity requirements would not apply. However, since TDAS and Alex are invalid due to citizenship requirements (neither is registered to vote in the South), removing the activity requirement does not effect the outcome of the election.

How does this effect the vote totals?

[Pragmatic Conservative]

For people who aren't citizens of the South, I think the regional constitution is fairly clear that they wouldn't count. 

There probably isn't a posting requirement though (I'm opposed to posting requirements anyway).

I'm pretty sure Siren is correct here. Per Article III, Section 4 of the Constitution, senatorial elections are regulated and administered by the Regions, which suggests that federal activity requirements would not apply. However, since TDAS and Alex are invalid due to citizenship requirements (neither is registered to vote in the South), removing the activity requirement does not effect the outcome of the election.

How does this effect the vote totals?

The two votes that would be valid now are offsetting, so the margin stays the same.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

FOR SO SENATE (56% Turnout)
FED: Libertylover   14 (56%)
LAB: Peebs   11 (44%)

FOR SO SENATE - SPECIAL (56% Turnout)
FED: JC Libertas   14 (56%)
LAB: S Gothic   11 (44%)

FOR FE SENATE (17% Turnout)
FED: Goldwater   8 (100%)


With fewer than twelve hours before the polls close, the Federalist Party has surged ahead in the southernmost region, where incumbent Senator Libertylover and Regional Delegate JCL now lead their respective opponents by double digits. It now appears that the Federalists will be able to hold both these seats in the next Senate; assuming former Senator Goldwater is victorious in Fremont, this would allow the party to retain its majority in the Senate regardless of the outcome of the Northern senatorial election next week. While the Mideast Record-Courier will refrain from making a projection at this time, this is certainly encouraging news for Atlasian conservatives, who are hoping to hold the presidency and retake the House in the federal elections next week.

[Poirot]

I'm pretty sure Siren is correct here. Per Article III, Section 4 of the Constitution, senatorial elections are regulated and administered by the Regions, which suggests that federal activity requirements would not apply. However, since TDAS and Alex are invalid due to citizenship requirements (neither is registered to vote in the South), removing the activity requirement does not effect the outcome of the election.

Unless the number of posts is not part of voter registration rules, regions need to follow federal law. The new constitution still has a federal supremacy clause so I think regions have to respect the standard for the number of posts.

There was a court case under the old constitution though that affirmed regions needed to respect federal registration regulations.   
https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=171139.msg3691620#msg3691620

[Terry the Fat Shark]

1184AZ and OmegaScarlet would also be ineligible due to their not being in the South for 7 days, one of said people is trying to claim we are "stealing the election" due to this?

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

I'm pretty sure Siren is correct here. Per Article III, Section 4 of the Constitution, senatorial elections are regulated and administered by the Regions, which suggests that federal activity requirements would not apply. However, since TDAS and Alex are invalid due to citizenship requirements (neither is registered to vote in the South), removing the activity requirement does not effect the outcome of the election.

Unless the number of posts is not part of voter registration rules, regions need to follow federal law. The new constitution still has a federal supremacy clause so I think regions have to respect the standard for the number of posts.

There was a court case under the old constitution though that affirmed regions needed to respect federal registration regulations.   
https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=171139.msg3691620#msg3691620

It's certainly a thorny issue. Thankfully, the two "inactive" voters (Steelers and ZuWo) split their votes between the Federalist and Labor tickets, so any controversy will not effect the outcome of the election.

[Terry the Fat Shark]

I believe one of the labor voters ( Alex) was not even registered in Atlasia either

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

I believe one of the labor voters ( Alex) was not even registered in Atlasia either

Yes, Siren and I noted this above. TDAS is invalid as well (registered in South Dakota).

[Terry the Fat Shark]

So I believe I am up by 1-2 votes even if we do count OmegaScarlet and 1184AZ, I believe SouthernGothic and JCL are tied.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

April 2015 all over again in the South. People using IRC to get their buddies to move, but at least Flo didn't move people during the election to my recollection and certainly not in the last few minutes.


There was near unanimous support after that incident to reinstate the seven day rule. Because it is an invitation for everyone to misbehave without it.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

at least Flo didn't move people during the election to my recollection and certainly not in the last few minutes.

>sigh< It's stunts like these that make me want to lock myself in the Main State Building and never come out. Fortunately, that particular ballot is invalid (voted after the end of the polling period).

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

at least Flo didn't move people during the election to my recollection and certainly not in the last few minutes.

>sigh< It's stunts like these that make me want to lock myself in the Main State Building and never come out. Fortunately, that particular ballot is invalid (voted after the end of the polling period).

It would be terrible  if we went though all this over the past year to end up right back where we were before (stunts, plus inactivity).

Fortunately, I have faith that it won't come to that.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

FOR SO SENATE (71% Turnout)
FED: Libertylover   17 (53.1%) ☑
LAB: Peebs   15 (46.9%)

FOR SO SENATE - SPECIAL (71% Turnout)
FED: JC Libertas   16 (50%)
LAB: S Gothic   16 (50%)

FOR FE SENATE (48% Turnout)
FED: Goldwater   13 (56.5%)
LAB: Griffin   10 (43.5%)


We now bring you the final results of the elections for Southern Senate, just certified as of two hours ago. In the Class I race, incumbent Senator Libertylover narrowly retains his seat by a margin of two votes, winning 53% of valid ballots to 47% for Congresswoman Peebs of the Labor Party.

We can further report that the special election to succeed former Senator Tmthforu has ended in an exact tie, with 16 votes apiece for Federalist JCL and Laborite Southern Gothic. To make this outcome all the more unusual, there does not appear to be an established procedure for resolving these sorts of outcomes in the regional statute. Under the terms of the Federal Electoral Act passed earlier this year, ties in federal elections are resolved by a runoff vote held one week after the original balloting. As we know, however, senatorial elections are administered by the regions, not the federal government, and therefore the terms of the FEA do not apply. Governor PiT has yet to announce how, and when, the tie will be broken; until then, the South's Class II Senate seat is likely to remain unfilled.

Accordingly, the Mideast Record-Courier has the following projections to make:

D.F.W. Libertylover (FED)
SENATE (SOUTH) - ELECTED

TIED
SENATE (SOUTH) - NO WINNER

With a little more than five hours remaining before the polls close, former Federalist Senator Goldwater continues to lead in the Fremont Senate race, where he leads write-in candidate Adam Griffin by a margin of 13%. The Mideast Record-Courier cannot project the outcome of this race at this time.

[Anna Komnene]

We can further report that the special election to succeed former Senator Tmthforu has ended in an exact tie, with 16 votes apiece for Federalist JCL and Laborite Southern Gothic. To make this outcome all the more unusual, there does not appear to be an established procedure for resolving these sorts of outcomes in the regional statute. Under the terms of the Federal Electoral Act passed earlier this year, ties in federal elections are resolved by a runoff vote held one week after the original balloting. As we know, however, senatorial elections are administered by the regions, not the federal government, and therefore the terms of the FEA do not apply. Governor PiT has yet to announce how, and when, the tie will be broken; until then, the South's Class II Senate seat is likely to remain unfilled.

Crazy! I wonder if there's ever been a tie before.  Thanks for keeping up with all this.

As for the concern about how to handle it, the South Constitution covers it in Article VI, section 5.

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