Senate of West Aurelia
Senate of West Aurelia | |
|---|---|
| 28th Senate of West Aurelia | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Houses | Senate |
| Leadership | |
Speaker of the Senate | Marcus Briggs since June 1, 2008 |
Majority Leader | Melinda Ross since June 1, 2012 |
| Structure | |
| Seats |
|
| File:WA Senate.png | |
Political groups |
|
| Elections | |
| Mixed member proportional representation | |
Last election | West Aurelian Senate election, 2020 |
| Meeting place | |
| File:WA Senate House.jpg | |
| Senate House Riverside, West Aurelia | |
| Website | |
| senate.gov.wa | |
The Senate of West Aurelia is the unicameral legislature of West Aurelia, consisting of 449 senators elected every four years by popular vote. A senator serves a four-year term, with no term limits. The Senate is responsible for passing laws. The power to authorize the use of force and impeach government members also lies with the Senate.
Senators are elected using the mixed-member proportional system. 249 senators are directly elected from local constituencies around the country using the alternative vote method. Each of the 12 states is represented in the Senate with constituencies proportionate to its population, with each state entitled to at least one constituency. Additionally, the capital city of Riverside, not part of any state, supplements the Senate with six senators based on its population. Seats are apportioned among the states and Riverside by population following the census (which occurs every five years), and come into effect during the next election.
A further 200 senators are elected using the Sainte-Laguë method of proportional representation, with an open-list format. There is no electoral threshold necessary for a party to enter the Senate. Senate elections are held every four years on the first Saturday in May. Election cycles begin 60 days prior to the election date. Senators begin their terms on June 1 of the same year.
The Senate is currently controlled by the Freedom Party, which holds 234 seats.
Elections
Senate elections are held on the first Saturday in May of the election year. Election cycles last 60 days. Due to the MMP system, each voter has two votes. The first vote allows voters to elect a local representative for their Senate district. 249 senators are elected from each of the Senate districts. If a candidate fails to win over 50% of the popular vote, the alternative vote method is applied, eliminating candidates until either one gains more than 50% of the vote or there are two candidates remaining (each with 50% of the vote). If two candidates remain, a runoff election takes place a week later. If the result is the same, the state senate (or, in the case of Riverside, the City of Riverside Assembly) elects a senator from among the two remaining candidates a week after the runoff election.
The second vote is cast for a party list, which determines the parties represented in the remaining 200 seats. Voters can also vote on individual candidates within party lists, and the amount of votes each candidate receives determines the order of election, with the original list ranking serving as a tiebreaker. Senators begin their terms on June 1 of the same year.
A key concept in West Aurelian politics is the impartial speaker. At the beginning of each term, an election is held by senators to select a speaker. The speaker serves a four-year term, with a three-term limit. The speaker is not considered a senator, and thus has no powers to introduce legislation or to vote. His or her role is to ensure fair debate and enforce parliamentary procedure without favoring any particular party. The current speaker is Marcus Briggs, who has been in office since 2008.