The Fritz Building for Forum Affairs

[TomC]

Article VIII, Section 2, clause 4, one of the "carry overs."

"The procedure for absentee voting will be to make such declaration publicly to the Department of Forum Affairs, and then for the absentee voter to email their vote to the Chief Justice, Secretary of Forum Affairs and Attorney General."

The constitution also gives the Senate the authority to designate a manner of absentee voting, but I'm not seeing anything specific besides this "carry over."

[TomC]

OK, what's going on with the party recommendation thing in the special election booth? I totally missed discussion of this change, but why is it OK for a party to have its recommendation in a thread, yet an individual's ballot would be invalidated for "campaigning in the booth?"

EDIT: OK, sorry, I see the announcement and Article V, sec. 1, clause 8. I missed it. Still looking for appropriate Senate legislation...

[TomC]

For the run off elections, will there be party endorsements on the official ballot? Will the ones from the previous ballot automatically carry over? If a party missed the deadline for this weekend's election may they resubmit for the special?

[TomC]

Why do I have a feeling that this will end up in the Supreme Court?

Because everything ends up in the Supreme Court.

Oddly enough, the October 2005 election didn't

And it probably should have since the first certification was overturned but without a court order.

[TomC]

Does KEmperor's vote count? I ask this because I thought he left fantasy politics and can't vote anymore.

He's got enough posts.

[TomC]

I had originally advised Ernest that he should consult with the AG on this matter. My first thought was that the Attorney General should prosecute such a case, but on reflection, looking into law, and discussing with Justice Emsworth, I'm not sure that that is the case.

There is no statute that states who should prosecute. I do think it's pretty clear it is within the executive branch, but it is possible each department should prosecute violations of laws within its responsibility; thus it might be appropriate for the SoFA to prosecute this case.

As a member of another branch, and since there is no clear indication, I believe the President, in consultation with his cabinet, should make this determination as to who should prosecute, if a case is to be brought. If the President makes a determination that the Senate disagrees with, the Senate may craft legislation to answer this question for future instances.

This is my opinion, not a legal ruling, of course.

[TomC]

Best certification ever, Ernest. I have a question and by asking I don't mean to imply there's any issue; I just want to know.

When determinng a majority of preferences, in later rounds, are ballots where preferences have been exhausted included in the total number of ballots or are they removed? And, over time, have SoFAs been consistent on how to count exhausted ballots in determining majority?

[TomC]

May I express my sincere thanks to Ernest for his professional handing of this department over the past few months. Well done!

^^^

[TomC]

The vote cast by Dean is ineligible due to insufficient posts in the last 56 days.

[TomC]

The vote cast by Dean is ineligible due to insufficient posts in the last 56 days.

So is mine I believe, but I voted anyways.

Yes, sorry, but your vote's eneligible too.

[TomC]

I'm not seeing Texasindy on the voter rolls, or registering since the last update. Does anyone know of another name Texasindy might be registered under?

[TomC]

Please check and point out errors.

Master List
All registered voters in alphabetical order by username (Forum name will not be used by this Department. I don't see why I should bother when Frodo decides on a whim to be "Maverick" or Lewis Trondheim decides on a whim to be "Supa Hasi". I'll admit it's a bit confusing with people whose forum names are far more widely used than their usernames, such as Boss Tweed / miamiu)
Name                Party - State - Region - District - Last voted

afleitch                i - WI - Mideast - 4 - 21 Oct   
Akno21               D - MD - Mideast - 2 - 21 Oct
Alcon                   i - WA - Pacific - 4 - 21 Oct
Bacon King          FDP - GA - Southeast - 3 - 21 Oct   
bgwah                JCP - WA - Pacific - 4 - 21 Oct   
brandonh          ACA - LA - Southeast - 3 - 21 Oct   
Brandon W          ILP - NV - Pacific - 5 - 21 Oct   
BRTD                   SDP - IL - Mideast - 4 -21 Oct   
bullmoose88       ILP - PA - Northeast - 1 - 21 Oct   
CheeseWhiz       AMR - MN - Midwest - 4 - 21 Oct
Clay                    SLA- NE- Midwest- 4 - DATE
ColinW                FDP - PA - Northeast - 1 - 21 Oct   
Cosmo Kramer    CDP - AR - Southeast - 3 - 21 Oct   
DanielX                LF - WY - Midwest - 5 - 21 Oct
DownwiththeLeft R- NJ- Northeast - 2 - 21 Oct   
Dr.Cynic              SLA - PA - Northeast - 1 - 21 Oct
dubya2004          R - MS - Southeast - 3 - 21 Oct   
DWPerry             ACA - AL - Southeast - 3 - 0           21 Oct
EarlAW              SDP - NY - Northeast - 1 - 21 Oct   
Emsworth               i - CO - Midwest - 5 - 27. Aug *   
Ernest                 ILP - DE - Northeast - 2 - 21 Oct
Everett              AMR - CA - Pacific - 5 - 21 Oct
exnaderite          ILP - WI - Mideast - 4 - 21 Oct   
fezzyfestoon       R - NJ - Northeast- 2 - 21 Oct   
Frodo                  CDP - AL- Southeast - 3 - 21 Oct   
Gustaf                UAC - MN - Midwest - 4 - 27. Aug    *
GWBFan              SDP - NE - Midwest - 4 - 27. Aug *
htmldon             UAC - TN - Southeast - 3 - 27. Aug    *
hughento          IND - AZ - Pacific - 5 - 21 Oct
ian                    AMR - Miss - Southeast - 3 - 21 Oct
ilikeverin             AMR - MN - Midwest - 4 - 27. Aug   *
Inks.LWC            ACA - MI - Mideast - 3 - 21 Oct
Jas                       i - IA - Midwest - 4 - 21 Oct   
jerusalemcar5     D - NH - Northeast - 1 - 27. Aug *   
jfern                    SDP - CA - Pacific - 5 - 21 Oct
JLD                      SDP - MN - Midwest - 4 - 21 Oct
Joel                       R - MA - Northeast - 1 - 0           21 Oct
John Dibble          i - GA - Southeast - 3 - 21 Oct
josh4bush           CDP - NC - Southeast - 2 - 21 Oct      
Keystone Phil       R - PA - Northeast - 1 - 0           21 Oct
Lewis Trondheim SDP - WY - Midwest - 5   - 21 Oct
LiberalPA             SDP - SD - Midwest - 4 - 21 Oct   
LucysBeau           CDP - GA - Southeast - 3 - 21 Oct   
MAS117                UAC - NJ - Northeast - 2 - 21 Oct
MasterJedi            R - WI - Mideast - 4   - 21 Oct
MHS2002             ACA - SC - Southeast - 2 - 21 Oct   
Miamiu1027         ILP - NY - Northeast - 1 - 21 Oct   
NHPolitico           CDP - NH - Northeast - 1-  DATE NEEDED   
nym90                 CDP - MI - Mideast - 3 - 21 Oct
Old Europe           i - MA - Northeast - 1 - 21 Oct   
opebo                  ILP - MO - Southeast - 3 - 21 Oct
OWL                    CDP - ND - Midwest - 4    - 21 Oct
polnut                 SDP - IL - Mideast - 4 - 0     21 Oct
Ebowed&,nbsp;                  D - SC - Southeast - 2 - 27. Aug   *
Reaganfan          R - TX - Southeast - 5 - 21 Oct
Realpolitik           AS   - WV - Mideast - 3 - 21 Oct   
rinchan089            R - AZ - Pacific - 5 - 21 Oct
SamSpade           i - TX - Southeast - 5 - 21 Oct   
Senator Conor Flynn UAC - NY - Northeast - 1 - 0       12. Sep
Shilly                   PP   - CA - Pacific - 5 - 27. Aug *
Smash255          SDP - NY - Northeast - 1 - 21 Oct
TCash101            ILP - CT - Northeast - 1 - 21 Oct   
texasgurl24       AS - MT - Midwest - 4 - 21 Oct
tmcusa2           PFU - PA - Northeast - 1 - 0                 17. Sep *
tomm_86            AS - IL - Mideast - 4 - 0                      09. Sep *
true democrat   R - PA - Northeast - 1 - 21 Oct
Virginian87       CDP   - VA - Mideast - 2 - 21 Oct   
Winfield            ACA   - RI - Northeast - 1 - 21 Oct
WiseGuy           ACA   - TX - Southeast - 5 - 27. Aug *   
WMS                 CDP   - NM - Pacific - 5 - 21 Oct   
YoungRepub     FF - NY - Northeast - 1 - 27. Aug   *

Asterisk denotes voters in danger of having registration considered invalid if they do not vote in the next presidential election, or any by-election before that.

[TomC]

Note that the bracketed asterisks are up for removal even before the other ones.

OK, I wasn't sure- the dates on them were later than those with just the asterisks.