Elections in Satavia
Elections in Satavia refer to elections that occur both on the federal and provincial level in Satavia. Federal elections take place routinely every four years (although snap elections are possible but rarely called) and elect representatives to both the provincial parliaments, and the federal parliament.
Federal Parliament
The Parliament of Satavia consists of two houses, the House of Representatives (lower house) and the Senate (upper house). The House of Representatives elected 152 members for a term of four years in single member constituencies (with approximately the same amount of voters per district). In the event of a resignation or death of an elected member, a local by-election is held to elect a new member that completes the former member's term. Elections are conducted by the first-past-the-post system.
[Senate]
Electoral Commission
Each province has its own electoral commission that is responsible for organising and conducting elections within its respective province, whilst the Federal Electoral Commission conducts and organises elections on a federal level and in the National Capital District.
Criteria
Voting is compulsory for all residents who are eligible to vote. A Satavian national is eligible to vote in a provincial, federal or by-election if they are above 18 years of age on or before the day of the election, and that they present a valid identification document, such as a passport or drivers license.
Elections
Elections are held every four years or earlier. At the federal level, there are four types of elections: federal elections, in which both the House of Representatives and Senate are dismissed in their entirety. These are the most common types of elections and are usually called because the four year period of time in between elections has elapsed; or a government has lost its majority in both houses. The second type of election is the general election, in which only the House of Representatives is dismissed - this is in contrast to senate elections, in which only the Senate is dismissed. These are usually called as a result of elections being out of sync - for instance in the ten year period between 1987 and 1997. Finally, by-elections occur when a division loses its MP either through death, resignation or invalidation. If a senator dies or resigns during their term, their replacement is selected from within their party to continue their term. In the unlikely event an independent were to become a senator and fail to complete their term, it is constitutionally unclear who (or if) would complete their term.
List
2016
| 79 | 67 | 3 |
| L | C&C | U |
| Party | Seats | +/- | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | 79 | ||
| Conservative & Country | 67 | ||
| United | 3 |
2020
| 84 | 33 | 20 | 8 | 4 |
| C&C | L | U | LSDP | Other |
| Party | Seats | +/- | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative & Country | 84 | +17 | |
| Liberal | 33 | -46 | |
| United | 20 | +17 | |
| Labour & Social Democratic Party | 8 | New | |
| Others | 4 | N/A |