Citizenship in Ottonia
The Federation of Ottonian Republics is noteworthy for operating a three-tiered citizenship system, in which voting rights must be gained by choice, and once gained, are required to be exercised by law. Although nominally each Ottonian Constituent Republic is free to set their own separate standards for franchise and participation in the Republics' governments, in practice they follow the Federal standard.
Overview & Background
North Ottonia's multi-tiered system of citizenship has its roots in the New Foundation of Ottonia, the Constitution enacted following the Ottonian Revolution. In an effort to discourage the running of the government by those without knowledge of its basic functions, a national civics test was instituted, to be taken by everyone born after 1945 at the age of 16, retakeable until passed. The test was intended to measure whether or not a prospective citizen understood how the government of their respective republic, and the federal government functioned. Anyone who opted not to take the test, or who had not yet passed it, would be considered an Ottonian national, who would enjoy almost all of the rights of citizenship save for the right to vote and the right to hold office.
This system held true until 1962, when the standards were revised; in an effort to ensure better preparation among those seeking office, the Advanced Civics Assessment was created. This test required a greater level of knowledge regarding the federal government, the country's history, and the functioning of the governments of all of the nine constituent republics. At this juncture, provision was also made for those who declined or failed the Basic Civics Assessment to still be able to vote in local (municipal and prefectural) elections.
The system of mandatory voting dates back to 1950, when advocates for the system argued that the system would put the onus on the government to ensure access for all eligible persons. Although initially controversial, the system has largely been accepted by the populace.
Classes of Citizenship
There are three classes of citizenship in Ottonia: Class N, Class B, and Class A.
Class N Citizenship
The term "Class N" comes from "National"; thus, a Class N Citizen is an Ottonian national.
All persons born within Ottonia's borders, abroad to Ottonian any Ottonian citizen or two Ottonian nationals, or a person who naturalizes after 5 years of permanent legal residency, automatically qualify for Class N citizenship. Additionally, stateless, refugee, and asylum-seeking persons who otherwise lack an affiliation to another country may request Class N standing within a shorter period, provided they intend to reside in Ottonia long-term.
Class N citizens are entitled to all the legal protections of Ottonian citizens, including due process protections, the right to make use of public services free of charge at the point of service, although they are also required to pay taxes beyond point-of-sale consumption taxes. In addition, Class N citizens are permitted, upon reaching the age of 20, to vote in local (municipal or prefectural-level elections) by federal law. In addition, a few republics allow Class N citizens to participate in republic-level elections, as well.
Class B Citizenship
The "B" in "Class B" refers to 'basic', as a Class B citizen has passed the Basic Civics Assessment. This test is offered four times per year in all jurisdictions, and is often taken as part of civics education in public schools.
Upon achieving Class B citizenship, a citizen has added to their rights the ability to vote in all elections at both the Republic and Federal level in their relevant jurisdictions. Additionally, it allows a person to run for office at the local and republic levels, as well as to enter the federal civil service.
A naturalized citizen can only take the BCA after three years of permanent legal residency following their naturalization to Class N citizenship. As a result, all naturalized Class B citizens must have a total of 8 years of permanent residency in Ottonia.
The Basic Civics Assessment
Also known as the BCA, the Basic Civics Assessment can be taken by any person who qualifies for Class N citizenship through birth starting at the age of 16. Persons who have achieved Class N citizenship through naturalization are permitted to take the BCA after 3 additional years of permanent residency within the country.
Most Ottonian teenagers will take the BCA as part of their mandatory schooling; as mandatory schooling ends at the B5 Level (during which the vast majority of students turn 16), the BCA is often administered at the end of the school year, active opting-out is required not to take the BCA. Due to the civics education largely being geared towards preparing students for civic life, including passing the BCA, it is highly unusual for students to opt out of or fail the BCA.
The BCA is divided into two parts, with the first part testing civic knowledge of the Republic in which the test is being taken, and the second part measuring knowledge of the federal government and history of Ottonia as a whole, especially North Ottonia.
Class A Citizenship
The "A" in "Class A" refers to "Advanced," as a Class A citizen must pass the Advanced Civics Assessment. Class A citizenship is required to run for federal office, including in the Folksmoot or for the Premiership. It is also required to advance to most leadership and management positions within the federal civil service. Additionally, all republics require Class A Citizenship for their Premiership and Chancellorship positions, and all save for Bluwaald require that members of the republic legislature have achieved Class A Citizenship.
For naturalized citizens, an additional two years of legal residency are required after passing the BCA before the ACA can be taken. As such, naturalized citizens must have been in the country for at least ten years to achieve Class A Citizenship and be eligible for high-level federal public office.
The Advanced Civics Assessment
Also known as the ACA, the Advanced Civics Assessment can only be taken by a person who has already passed the BCA. Many students who opt to continue their public education through A-levels will often take the ACA as part of their continued civics education, although in the case of the ACA it is also common for the test to be taken following independent study by older Ottonians.
The ACA, in addition to covering understanding of the federal government at a deeper level than the BCA, also requires a test-taker to demonstrate an adequate level of understanding of the governmental systems of all of the constituent republics of Ottonia.
Mandatory Voting
Ottonia is also unusual in having a system of mandatory voting. Once a citizen achieves Class B citizenship, they are required by law to cast a ballot in all subsequent elections. Due to a robust system of postal voting throughout the Federation as well as the requirement by the federal law that voting access must be ensured for all eligible voters by the federal and republican governments, it is highly unusual for a person seeking to vote to be unable to do so.
One month prior to an election, all eligible voters are furnished with a mail-in ballot. The one-month advance window is intended to ensure that any person who does not receive their ballot as expected is able to get one prior to the turn-in date. For two weeks prior to "election day", all involved municipalities provide drop-boxes at city government facilities (usually city hall, although other locations may be used depending on the area) for those unwilling to mail their ballot through the Ottonian Federal Postal Service. In addition, a fresh ballot may be requested and filled out in person in the event of a lost or unusable ballot.
Federal law only requires that all persons who have been issued a Voter ID number (given at the time of Class B Citizenship achievement) return an altered ballot to the relevant electoral authority. In the event that a person wishes not to participate in a given election, they may return an intentionally-voided ballot, or else to vote for nonviable or "joke" candidates.
Should a Class B or A citizen fail to return a ballot within the appropriate window of time, they are assessed a fine of NOØ5000 (approx. $25 USD). The fine can be challenged if a person feels they were unable to vote within the allotted time, or if there are extenuating circumstances, although such challenges are relatively uncommon.