Fairness to the Voter Amendment

[Јas]

Um, what exactly is to stop somebody from editing all the votes in their favor?

1. In all votes presided over by the Department of Forum Affairs, citizens shall be allowed to edit their ballots within 20 minutes of posting their original ballot.

This is very loose language.  Our moderators MasterJedi and Gustaf could easily take it upon themselves as citizens to edit the citizens (their) votes to whatever they want as long as they manage to do it within 20 minutes of each individual ballot.  I trust they won't, but it's possible.

I would've thought 'their' clearly refers to the relevant citizen's own ballot. The interpretation you propose seems to me to require a rather unusual take on the meaning of the amendment.

Also, on a practical level, no moderator with any sense would surely go to such lengths. There would be uproar and I'd imagine such an act would potentially put their position as moderator in jeopardy due to strong protestations being made.

[Sam Spade]

It is possibly a problem, though I suspect the policy considerations detailed above would satisfy most concerns.

Rest assured, if something goes wrong, it will be altered.  I still don't understand 20 minutes as a time barrier.  Should be 15.

[King]

I would've thought 'their' clearly refers to the relevant citizen's own ballot. The interpretation you propose seems to me to require a rather unusual take on the meaning of the amendment.

Also, on a practical level, no moderator with any sense would surely go to such lengths. There would be uproar and I'd imagine such an act would potentially put their position as moderator in jeopardy due to strong protestations being made.

Indeed, but the possible loophole exists.

[minionofmidas]

Um, what exactly is to stop somebody from editing all the votes in their favor?

1. In all votes presided over by the Department of Forum Affairs, citizens shall be allowed to edit their ballots within 20 minutes of posting their original ballot.

This is very loose language.  Our moderators MasterJedi and Gustaf could easily take it upon themselves as citizens to edit the citizens (their) votes to whatever they want as long as they manage to do it within 20 minutes of each individual ballot.  I trust they won't, but it's possible.

Not really.

[Gabu]

Um, what exactly is to stop somebody from editing all the votes in their favor?

1. In all votes presided over by the Department of Forum Affairs, citizens shall be allowed to edit their ballots within 20 minutes of posting their original ballot.

This is very loose language.  Our moderators MasterJedi and Gustaf could easily take it upon themselves as citizens to edit the citizens (their) votes to whatever they want as long as they manage to do it within 20 minutes of each individual ballot.  I trust they won't, but it's possible.

I don't think any reasonable person could possibly read that and come to the conclusion that it allows people to modify other people's ballots.  Atlasia is not a ridiculously legalistic country like the real United States.

[Sam Spade]

Um, what exactly is to stop somebody from editing all the votes in their favor?

1. In all votes presided over by the Department of Forum Affairs, citizens shall be allowed to edit their ballots within 20 minutes of posting their original ballot.

This is very loose language.  Our moderators MasterJedi and Gustaf could easily take it upon themselves as citizens to edit the citizens (their) votes to whatever they want as long as they manage to do it within 20 minutes of each individual ballot.  I trust they won't, but it's possible.

I don't think any reasonable person could possibly read that and come to the conclusion that it allows people to modify other people's ballots.  Atlasia is not a ridiculously legalistic country like the real United States.

Just wait. 

[Brandon H]

Is the the 17th Amendment? There is an empty 16th in the infobox for the Constitution, added by Hawk in Dec. 2006. Any ideas what that one was?

[Јas]

Is the the 17th Amendment? There is an empty 16th in the infobox for the Constitution, added by Hawk in Dec. 2006. Any ideas what that one was?

Prior to this amendment, the last amendment to pass the regions (IIRC) was the Constitutional Amendment on Voter Registration and Voting Rules (passed c. 31 December 2006).

"That Article V, Section 2, Clause 6 of the Constitution be amended to read as follows:

Any registered voter who fails to vote in elections for eight months for which he is qualified to vote shall have his registration no longer considered valid. The said voter may only be deregistered after missing four federal elections, not including runoffs and special elections. A vote in a special election or runoff will be counted towards activity the same as a vote in a regular federal election. This clause shall not be construed to deny a forum user the right to register anew."

I think that was the 16th Amendment to the Constitution.

[Јas]

I've just checked through the thread and can't find any other successful amendment between the 15th and the one posted above.

There were a series of failed amendments (though often at close margins) including an amendment seeking to scrap the budget; an amendment to introduce a national minimum wage; an amendment creating a back-up to re-districting; and an amendment seeking to remove Presidential term-limits. I think that's all though no guarantees.