Senate Voting Procedure

As written in the Senate Handbook, version 3.02.

The Senate allows for direct input from Senators in a number of issues, most notably the election of the Senator Prime. The last phase of a Senate competition also involves a detailed voting process.

Senate Legislation: (A more detailed voting process will be released in a Senator Procedural Exam at the University, which will detail the terms used in italic.)

Senate legislation is produced as a result of a competition or debate. Often, it determines what course the competition will take and what regulations are set forth therein. To accommodate this feature, the database is equipped with a Legislation Docket, informing Senators of the current issues that have yet to be resolved. Representatives do not have the right to vote, but do assist the relevant Senators and their Parties in the creation of bills or resolutions (depending on the issue). If two Senators are not in agreement about the bill or resolution in question, and two votes have already been cast, the planet will be considered in abstention and their vote will not be counted. Hence it is necessary for Senators to coordinate their votes with their Delegation and Party. If there is vacancy on any given planet, and only one Senator, then the legislation process will be suspended for a quorum call until a suitable replacement is found.

Each planet has one vote rather than each individual Senator casting a single vote. This allows for sensible voting and coordination between Representatives. It must be noted that for legislation to be submitted to the High Council, it must receive 3/4ths approval from the Senate, which is currently 7 out of 10 planets. If the Chancellor decides to veto a bill or resolution, the Senate may submit a referendum with Senator Prime approval. The Chancellor will then be forced to accept the bill or resolution in question. This legislation that is approved will then be displayed in the “Records of Decision” section of the Senate database.

Planetary issues, while they may evolve into Senate-wide issues, do not follow the same guidelines as Senate voting. This must be noted to avoid any confusion. For more information on Planetary Issues, see the Planets or Activities section in the manual.

Senator Prime Elections: The term of the Senator Prime last for four months, and after that point elections are taken for a new Senator Prime. The elections take the following format:

1. All Senators interested in the position of Senator Prime must submit an application to the Chancellor along with the ID Lines of three Senators who support that person for the position of Senator Prime. Each Senator can only support one candidate. The application should be in the form of a speech to the Senate suitable for general viewing.

2. The Chancellor will review the applications, editing sections if deemed unacceptable for public viewing. All the speeches will then be posted in the Senate Forum and all Senators, save the High Council, can vote on who they want the next Senator Prime to be. Voting is to take place in the same method as legislation (on the database) to ensure no foul play.

3. The voting runs for a period of two weeks, and after that point the Chancellor will total the votes for the various candidates. In the event of a tie, the Chancellor has the deciding vote for the Senator Prime. The winner will be announced shortly after.

Votes of No Confidence: This particular voting procedure may be used to remove Party Leaders, the Senator Prime, and in extreme cases, a vote of no confidence will be forwarded to the Fleet Commander and Executive Officer for possible removal of the Chancellor. High Council positions, which are appointed directly by the Chancellor, are not applicable for a vote of no confidence.

1. A vote of no confidence may be initiated if the member is question has been: (1) AWOL for over 30 days, (2) made decisions that the majority of the Senate or Party feel have damaged them in someway or (3) the membership feels that the person in question is not doing their job.

2. When initiating a vote of no confidence against a Party Leader, the membership of the Party must write a “List of Grievances,” which must cite their reasons for enacting a vote of no confidence and have the ID lines of three-fourths of the Party’s membership included. They must then send their document to the Senator Prime, who, if there are no discrepancies, will forward it to the Chancellor and Deputy Chancellor who will approve or disapprove the vote of no confidence. If approved, the Party Leader in question will immediately be removed from office and a replacement sought. If it is denied, the Party membership may resubmit their List of Grievances a second time. If it is denied again, they may no longer submit their List.

3. When initiating a vote of no confidence against the Senator Prime, three-fourths of the Senate (excluding the High Council) must generate a List of Grievances and have their ID lines included. The Chancellor and Deputy Chancellor will then approve or disapprove the vote of no confidence. If approved, the Senator Prime will immediately removed and a new election process will begin. If disapproved, the membership may vote to overturn the decision. If three-fourths or more vote to overturn, the Senator Prime is removed and a replacement will be sought.

4. When initiating a vote of no confidence against the Chancellor, three-fourths of the Senate’s membership, including the Ministry (DCH and CHS excluded) and Party Leaders, must generate a List of Grievances and include their ID lines. The List must then be sent to both the Fleet Commander and Executive Officer for approval. At this point, the fate of the Chancellor is out of the Senate’s hands. If approved, then the Chancellor will more than likely be fired and a replacement sought. If denied, then the Senate may try to resubmit their List of Grievances, although it is recommended they wait for a while before they resubmit.

Votes of No Confidence do NOT void the Chancellor’s right to remove anyone he deems unfit for their position. However, like the Vote of No Confidence, the Chancellor MUST have a reason for removing the person. If the Chancellor removes people from position without justifiable reasons, see the above section.