San Andreas Election Procedures

December 19, 2024

Legislation,State Law

Introduction and Purpose

Purpose Statement:

To establish a structured and transparent election process for the State of San Andreas, including timelines, roles, and restrictions to ensure fair participation and impartial conduct in both public and interdepartmental elections.

Background Information:

The Constitution of the State of San Andreas authorises the Department of Justice to manage elections. This document is a guide on how the Department of Justice oversees the election process, including organising elections, opening sign-ups, conducting campaigns, and managing voting procedures. This ensures consistency, fairness, and clarity across all electoral activities within the state.

Constitutional Justification

This legislation aligns with the constitution of San Andreas by ensuring a democratic election process that upholds citizens’ rights to participate freely and equally in government-related matters. It respects the principle of impartial justice and guarantees due process by providing a clear and consistent framework for electoral activities. Furthermore, it supports the balance of power by enabling justices to facilitate and supervise elections without undue influence.

Details

Definitions:

– Justice: An official within the San Andreas judiciary empowered to conduct elections.

– Sign-Up Period: A 7-day window during which candidates can register to participate in the election.

– Voting Period: A 7-day timeframe during which registered citizens may cast their votes.

– DOJ Sanctioned Events: Official events sanctioned by the Department of Justice, including debates and press conferences organised for electoral purposes.

Enforcement

– Depending on the type of ballot, the results are announced in the following ways:

– Elected offices: These will be announced publicly, at an event held on state property, followed by a state announcement, and finally a statewide DOJ announcement for those who could not attend.

– Legislation contests: These will be announced both via a state announcement, and on the legislation contest itself in City Hall.

– Interdepartmental Ballots: These will be provided to the highest-ranking member of the department, to handle how they best see fit.

– Votes for contesting legislation will be held for 3 days. There is no sign-up period for these votes; they will begin once a Justice has confirmed that the contest criteria have been met. Specific criteria can be found in the “Legislation Proposal and Approval Process” legislation.

– A Justice will open election sign-ups for a 7-day period prior to voting, at City Hall. The sign-ups collected via City Hall will be entered onto the ballots as-is, without alterations, to ensure transparency and maintain the integrity of the election process. The department will not alter or change any person’s entry from their City Hall application when being placed onto the ballot. Ballots will be filled out in the order the candidates have filled out their application via City Hall.

-Voting will then run for 7 days. Other justices and judges within the department may assist with the organisational duties, such as organising debates or other press-related events.

-The San Andreas Department of Justice shall perform an evaluation of the individual election needs as each election approaches and determine the proper format for ballots, the amount of votes allocated per ballot, and the amount of candidates per ballot as is necessary. These modifications may only be made with a majority approval of the Department of Justice Judges and Justices.

– Governmental departments may request interdepartmental elections, such as elections for departmental leadership roles or special project teams. The requesting party and a justice will discuss the appropriate sign-up and voting timelines, and ultimately, the justice will decide the final schedule.

– No individual is allowed to campaign on state property outside of Department Of Justice sanctioned events.

– Once voting has begun, no changes may be made to any ballots to ensure fairness and the integrity of the election is protected.

Penalties:

Any candidate or citizen found campaigning on state grounds, outside of DOJ-sanctioned events, will face disqualification from the election and/or a fine, as decided by the Department of Justice.

Government departments or individuals who fail to adhere to the established timelines or attempt to improperly influence elections will be subject to disciplinary actions, including but not limited to, suspension of electoral privileges.

Conclusion and Implementation Plan

Timeline for Enactment:

This legislation will be enacted upon its passage and signature, with immediate effect taking place on 10/21/2024. The judiciary will be responsible for disseminating the rules to all relevant governmental departments to ensure clarity and compliance before the upcoming election cycle.