Elections in Midrasia
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| This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Midrasia |
There are five types of elections in Midrasia, these include Consular elections, parliamentary elections, elections to the legislatures in the autonomous regions of Lotrič and Vaellenia as well as local elections and elections to the Aeian Parliament. Consular elections are called following the expiration of the mandate of the sitting Consul which is a term of four years. As of 1902 Midrasia utilises a two tiered election for Consul with Primary elections taking place within each individual political bloc, before the official Consular election, where the two selected candidates go head-to-head with the winner being decided by the popular vote. In terms of parliamentary elections, a system of party-list proportional representation is used for elections to the Public Assembly whilst first-past-the-post is used for elections to the Senate. As of 1996 party-list proportional representation is also utilised for elections in autonomous regions, local elections and elections to the Aeian Parliament.
Election method
As of 1902 Midrasia can be categorised as a pseudo two-party system, although these two parties are regarded as political blocs or alliances which are generally more decentralised than traditional political parties. Within these blocs independent parties exist, though they tend to be more fluid and less formal than in other countries. The two political blocs are the Chartist Bloc representing the right-wing parties on the Midrasian political spectrum, and the Reform Bloc representing the left wing. Candidates competing within elections compete under the name of their individual political parties within that bloc. Only during Consular elections do candidates affiliate with their bloc over their party. Parties sit within their respective political bloc within Parliament.
Political campaigns in Midrasia have strict spending limits regarding how much can be spent on local activist level campaigns or national broadcasts. Fines or constituency by-elections may be implemented in situations where a specific candidate has violated campaign finance laws. Campaign advertisements may only be displayed or aired during a specified period before an election takes place and are also subject to spending limits. Each major political party is provided an equal amount of airtime by the Midrasian Broadcasting Network (Réseau de Radiodiffusion Mydraziane) to air one three-minute campaign ad on Midrasian television before a specific election. During an election campaign, live TV debates regularly take place, with the format alternating between a debate between the two main Consular candidates, and the leaders of each individual political party.
In Midrasia, any citizen over the age of 18, not currently imprisoned, and of sane mental health is entitled to vote. Citizens of the Mydramonde who are resident in Midrasia or will be resident in the country two years before or after a particular election are also entitled to vote. Citizens however, must register with the electoral commission in their local area in order to cast their vote. Voters must be registered at least two weeks before a specific election in order to be able to cast their vote within it. One week before an election, all registered voters receive a polling card, indicating their ability to vote within the election and identifying the specific polling station which must be used. This card must be brought to the polling station in order for a vote to be cast. For most Midrasian elections, the party-list proportional representation voting system is used, requiring voters to select their one preferred party which lists its candidates within. For Senatorial elections, voters must from a list of all those candidates participating within their specific constituency.
All votes within Midrasia are performed by secret ballot and use paper ballots. Under specific circumstances, citizens may apply either for a postal vote or a vote by proxy if they are unable to reach a polling station on election day. Voter turnouts in Midrasia in recent years have tended to range from around 63% to 72%.
Elections
Consular elections
Consular elections are direct elections for the position of Consul who acts as the country's head of state and government. Consuls have been directly elected since 1791, though the process for selecting them has changed over time. Initially the system was based on the number of constituencies carried by a particular party, however issues began to arise as the number of parties competing grew and Consul's were regularly elected with less than 50% of the popular vote. In 1902 the political system and consular elections were overhauled, utilising the popular vote and only allowing two candidates to compete for the position of Consul. Furthermore, each political party was obliged to associate itself with a political bloc, effectively creating two perpetual multi-party coalitions.
The current system for Consular elections sees each party first compete in primary elections, whereby candidates from each party within a specific bloc compete against each other to receive the nomination. Primary elections usually involve the members or delegates of a particular party voting for their preferred candidate, though each election system is individual for each bloc. Following the conclusion of primaries, the selected candidates from each bloc then go head-to-head in a popular vote election. Consular elections usually involve a series of live television debates between the two candidates. Consular campaigns usually last for around six months before the election takes place.
Parliamentary elections
Public Assembly
Parliamentary elections are elections held for the national legislature, the Public Assembly (Midrasian: Assemblée Publique). Members of the Assembly serve for a term of two-years, unless they resign from office, are forcibly removed, or die before the end of their term. As a result of the shorter term length, it is possible for the ruling party to lose their majority within the Public Assembly, resulting in divided government.
The Assembly is composed of 572 members directly elected by universal suffrage of all citizens aged over 18 years. One representative is assigned to the house for every 180,000 members of the electorate. As of the 1996 voting reforms, elections to the Public Assembly utilise party-list proportional representation, meaning that candidates are elected to the Assembly based on their respective party's share of the popular vote. There are no constituencies within the election and candidates merely vote for their preferred party. A list of Assembly candidates is displayed below each party on the ballot paper. Elections to the Assembly utilise the D'Hondt method of calculating the allocation of seats to the Assembly. A threshold of 0.2% is utilised for parties seeking to gain representation within the Assembly.
The current makeup of the Midrasian Public Assembly is as follows:
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Senate
In Midrasia, direct elections to the Senate utilise a system of first-past-the-post wherein one candidate is selected from each of the country's 300 constituencies. Terms in the upper-house last for a total of four years, with elections being held at the same time as those for Consul. Candidates taking part in Senatorial elections stand as the representative of their respective party rather than their political bloc, though members of the same bloc usually co-operate in situations where only one party is capable of winning a specific seat. As a result of using first-past-the-post, the smaller parties of the country very rarely gain representation within the Senate, with the body usually being dominated by either the Social Democratic Party or Republican Party.
Before the Parliamentary Reform Act of 1996, the Senate was entirely appointed by regional authorities based on the results of local elections. This was changed as differing authorities utilised different voting methods and types of seat allocation. Additionally, issues were raised over gerrymandering within constituencies. As such, authority over constituencies is now vested in the impartial Electoral Commission. Non-voting representatives are also present within the Senate, representing Midrasia's overseas territories and the Alydian Church in an official capacity.
The current makeup of the Midrasian Senate is as follows:
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Local elections
Local elections take place every two years within Midrasia and are usually held on the same day as parliamentary elections. Voters across the country elect candidates to councils at regional, county, municipal and commune level. Councillors are elected via a system of party-list proportionality and elections usually take place on a Thursday. A number of local councils also provide elections for specific administrative roles, such as police and crime commissioners or welfare officers. However, the positions up for election and the power each office carries differs within each region or municipality.
Elections in autonomous regions
Midrasia's autonomous regions have independent elections to their individual devolved parliaments and assemblies. The only devolved parliament present within Midrasia is the Vaellenian Parliament which acts as the legislative body on a number of issues for the region. A number of devolved assemblies exist in Midrasia, the most prominent being in the country's capital. The Lotrič Assembly acts as an administrative body which scrutinises the actions of the Mayor and amends the city's annual budget. Elections to these bodies take place every four years, however are usually staggered so as not to conflict with nationwide general and local elections. All autonomous regional elections utilise the party-list proportional voting system for their respective elections.
Elections to the Aeian Parliament
Midrasian elections to the Aeian Parliament take place every two years and utilise a system of party-list proportional representation, delegating voted through the d'Hondt method. The seats each nation receives within the Aeian Parliament is calculated based upon the total population of each nation, with 1 seat being awarded for every 819000 citizens or part thereof; in addition to a minimum of 6 seats received by every nation. Midrasia currently holds 155 seats within the Assembly, making it the largest nation to sit in the Aeian Parliament.
Elections for the Aeian Parliament in Midrasia take place with the entire country acting as a single electoral constituency. Before the election, candidates standing for each party are ranked using a list system, with each seat being awarded based upon the percentage of the vote received by each party. Each individual party within Midrasia participates within Aeian elections, however most political parties within the country are part of a wider political block within the parliament. These wider political blocks see like-minded political parties from each nation cooperate on specific issues up for debate.
Currently, the Midrasian seats within the Aeian Parliament are assigned as follows:
- Progressive Alliance - 52
- Republican Party - 45
- Social Democratic Party - 32
- Liberal League - 15
- The Democrats - 5
- Green Party - 3
- Socialist Party - 2
- Midrasia First - 1
Referendums
Referendums are a rare occurrence within Midrasia, due to the Constitution's emphasis on representative democracy over direct democracy. This ensures that legally binding referenda are not possible within the country, with acts having to be passed by Parliament and the Consul to become law.
Referendums only tend to be held in cases of major constitutional change, and then only to gauge public opinion on specific issues. The last referendum to take place within Midrasia was in 1995 regarding the parliamentary reforms proposed by the Pegrant government. The referendum showed 67% of the voting public in support of the proposed changes, which political commentators have pointed to as the reason the PSD faced little opposition in passing the reform bill.
In recent years however, there has been a significant push to mandate the increased use of public referenda, both as a method of reducing voter apathy by engaging the populace more directly with Midrasian politics, but also to ensure that the Midrasian government is more receptive to public opinion. Since 2010 movements have pushed to organise referenda regarding Midrasia's membership of the Aeian Community and the reform of the electoral system.