ADVENT: Organizations
Election Oversight
"The future of ADVENT lies with us, and that is something we take seriously."
- Kaiden Chapman, Chief Election Overseer
Proposal 1776
Latest Revision: 10/15/2016
Designation: ADVENT Election Oversight
Program Type: Election Oversight; Vote Counting; Candidate Vetting
Authors: Keith Watkins, Chief Overseer of the Oversight Division; Elizabeth Falka, Director of ADVENT Intelligence; Chancellor Saudia Vyandar; Kyong Suk-Chul, Minister of ADVENT Public Relations; Amalda Stein, Chief of Peacekeeper Operations; Kaiden Chapman, Chief Election Overseer
INITIAL PROPOSAL: One of the most fundamental pillars of modern society is the act of voting. It is vital that citizens be able to freely, safely, and securely vote for the candidate of their choice in an election where they can trust that the vote will be accurately counted and the victor will be decided by the people.
The democratic system is vital for any functioning society, and serves as an important check on elected officials. The will and demands of the people are something which deserves to be known and reflected in their leaders. The people elect the leaders they deserve, as is sometimes said. ADVENT is no different.
However, it is important to realize that we do not live in a perfect world and society, nor is democracy free of flaw and fault. Many citizens are not heavily invested in politics, nor necessarily engaged to a degree where they can objectively determine the best candidate which reflects their values. This is something which has been exploited by candidates and campaigns since the beginning; those who lie and deceive their way to power, buoyed on the hope of fulfilled promises.
The public has sometimes made significant electoral mistakes, elevating corrupt, unqualified, and deceptive individuals to power, despite there existing evidence exposing their deeds and secrets. This phenomenon is extremely dangerous to democracy, and as politics becomes reminiscent of a team sport, qualities such as qualifications, character, and competence become lost.
Such individuals cannot be qualified to lead ADVENT, and we were determined to find a solution which would ensure that no unqualified person would lead ADVENT, while at the same time preserving the right for citizens to choose. I am pleased to say we are successful, and have thus removed the risk to ADVENT.
The people will be provided with choice, but no matter who wins, we can be assured that no radical, unqualified, or dangerous individual will hold power within ADVENT.
OBJECTIVES AND MISSION: There are a number of specific missions Election Oversight performs, which are listed below:
ELECTION FACILITATION: One of the most important functions is the act of facilitating an election itself. From determining the locations, acquiring and establishing the equipment necessary, scheduling debates and state-sponsored events, and tallying the vote. This is the core mission of Election Oversight, and upon which our credibility is staked.
It is important that each and every election be run in as transparent a manner, produce accurate results, and do so in a timely manner with as little disruption as possible. In the event of special or unplanned elections, Election Oversight must be prepared to facilitate one in a very short amount of time and hold it to the highest possible standard.
CANDIDATE VETTING: ADVENT has a responsibility to ensure that only the most qualified individuals run for any kind of public office, from a small-town mayor to the Chancellor of ADVENT. To preserve the integrity of ADVENT, we must ensure that each candidate has been thoroughly vetted to prepare them for their term of public service, both before and after entry.
Public service cannot be done without sacrifice. Election Oversight is only interested in those which understand the cost of representing the will of the people. Our objective is to ensure that individuals run for office to improve the lives of others. We reject the criminal, the corrupt, and the radical, who seek to line their pockets, abuse their power, and reform it in their image.
Those who run must be loyal to ADVENT. Not themselves; not their ideology; and not their family and friends.
It is our responsibility to achieve this. We ensure that candidates have no conflicts of interests, no unresolved criminal history, or have connections to dissenters or unreported foreign alien individuals or governments. Those who are not compatible are rejected, while those who show their loyalty to ADVENT and Humanity are allowed to prove it to the people.
ELECTION VETTING: As stated earlier, the integrity of the vote is of the utmost importance, and we ensure that all elections are vetted from the beginning. Outside agencies will perform initial checks to confirm no tampering, the Oversight Division ratifies all final vote tallies, and afterwards each election is accompanied by an autopsy to determine what went right, wrong, and how to improve.
If irregularities are discovered, we will take appropriate action from holding new elections, determining who or what was responsible and removing them, and doing all in our power to maintain trust in the democratic system.
CAMPAIGN CONTROL: As candidates begin their pitch to the public, they will require an appropriate campaign to accompany them. As campaigns are funded by ADVENT, it is our responsibility to provide the candidate with what they deem necessary to convince the people of their message. We ensure that campaigns are promptly and properly attended to, and each one is afforded the same chance to succeed.
These range from providing physical materials, providing places and studios for recording or filming campaign ads, or even meetings with applicable experts. ADVENT does not run campaigns, but will provide each campaign with a standardized package of campaign materials to use as desired. If more materials are needed, campaigns can make a request with sufficient justification.
ELECTION FRAUD, MANIPULATION, AND RIGGING: Once more tying to the importance of integrity, the potential for election fraud, manipulation, and even rigging is one that is real and something that must be accounted for and investigated. While much of the legacy political establishment is cut out from the process and lost their power, they would doubtless seek to exercise their remaining influence.
This is not something which will be allowed or tolerated. There are rules and procedures to voting, and it is up to us to ensure that each person has the means and opportunity to do so. Those who knowingly and intentionally do not abide by the rules should be treated as enemies of the state for attempting to disrupt and taint such an important pillar, and we shall punish them accordingly.
We intend to make such practices a thing of the past, and those who seek to tamper with them will not simply be defeated, but spend the rest of their lives as imprisoned criminals, stripped of everything they took for granted.
INTERNAL DIVISIONS: Election Oversight is divided into a number of internal divisions which focus on a specific mission within the agency:
ELECTION MANAGEMENT: This is the core of Election Oversight, and the division responsible for the primary mission of the agency, which is primarily planning, establishing, managing, and executing elections. They will develop, produce, and disperse all electioneering machines and infrastructure for voting.
They will personally produce the necessary internal materials, and provide citizens with unbiased ballots and other voting materials. Initiatives related to voter education and political involvement will be managed as well, and they will work closely with the Bureau of Education to design and implement initiatives specifically for students of varying grades and ages. They are also responsible for ensuring that citizens are aware of upcoming elections and that they have been provided votes in advance and that all citizens are automatically registered.
In the event that a citizen is not registered, they handle registration after verifying the individual is a local citizen. They also manage the initial vote tallying, and must certify the results before sending them to Election Security, who will jointly review it with the Oversight Division.
Election management is also responsible for producing and planning state and community events, such as town halls, election advertising, and candidate debates. It is the duty of Election Management that when election day comes, every citizen is informed of it and will do their civic duty.
A final duty of Election Management is the conducting and managing of internal polling and viability determination, which is essential for mid-race culling, as well as working with campaign pollsters to provide transparency and serve as a check on a single group making decisions on campaign viability.
CANDIDATE VETTING AND APPROVAL: This is a smaller, but extremely important division which is responsible for managing all applications for candidate approval, and performing thorough initial investigations on their backgrounds, citizenship, and criminal history.
Following an initial approval, they will begin the second stage of approval, and are responsible for scheduling interviews, psychological tests, and assigning individuals to, if applicable, investigate their various business and corporate holdings to determine what is necessary for proper divestment.
Should the candidate be deemed acceptable to hold office in ADVENT, Candidate Vetting and Approval (CVAA) will certify them, and turn over their gathered information to the Oversight Division and ADVENT Intelligence as they assist the candidate in fulfilling the final steps before their campaign can begin.
Additionally, all candidates must provide proof of minimal candidate viability, which is the acquisition of 1% of signatures or in polling from constituents who live in the area which is to be represented. These will be verified by CVAA and cross-checked with the applicable population numbers.
In the event that the candidate fails at one stage or another, they will be rejected and provided with a full explanation as to why. Should a candidate lose their election, CVAA will authorize them to return to previously held positions with no criminal conflict of interest penalty.
CAMPAIGN MANAGEMENT AND DISTRIBUTION: This division is charged with ensuring that the campaign a candidate puts together is their ideal campaign and accurately fulfills their vision of what they want to convey. CMAD will work closely with the candidate and their staff before and after approval to initially provide them with support in acquiring the needed number of signatures if possible, and later providing them with election memorabilia and merchandise, advertisement locations, and access to experts.
CMAD is ultimately a tool of the candidate who is minimally restricted as far as their creativity goes. As campaigns are publicly funded, there are fewer constraints on what each one is capable of producing, as all campaigns start off with an even level, and if there is proper justification given, additional materials can be provided.
CMAD is responsible for producing all necessary physical materials from papers, to signs, and is also responsible for helping them schedule locations if needed and provide labor and staffing for needs in a non-campaigning position. This allows all candidates an equal playing field, and allows ADVENT to closely observe the campaign and ensure they are following ADVENT law.
ELECTION SECURITY: It is important that people have confidence in their elections, and feel safe while voting. Election Security exists to fulfill this mandate. At each voting location, there will be a minimum of four soldiers who are specifically charged with checking voter IDs, observing for disturbances, removing troublemakers, and keeping the election as safe and neutral as possible.
This is one role they hold, and will be drawn primarily from the Peacekeepers. While it is unlikely they will encounter danger, it is best to be prepared, and Election Security is protected enough to withstand most threats to voting sites.
The second part of their role is the certification of voting results. Working closely with all divisions of Election Oversight as well as the Oversight Division, they thoroughly audit not just the results, but also how the election was run, and upon certification, they will write an autopsy report and return it to Election Management for review.
If they refuse to certify a result, the election results from that area will be nullified and each part of the affected divisions of Election Oversight suspended and an investigation is opened. Election Oversight will be required to clear personnel if they are found innocent. This can be overruled by the Oversight Division, which has the ability to both void election results or ensure they are maintained. In the event of a voided election, a new election will take place under special election rules with joint Oversight Division and Election Security oversight.
In the event that the Oversight Division negates the decision of Election Oversight, the respective Election Security team is placed under investigation and the Oversight Division must provide a reason for countermanding them.
In most cases, the Oversight Division and Election Security are expected to work without issue, but contingencies will exist in the event of conflict.
ELECTION INVESTIGATION: This is a small, but crucial division responsible for finding the flaws and issues in elections, and proposing solutions. In the event that the results are voided by Election Security, it is Election Investigation which will determine the cause of the issue, find all who were involved, and provide recommendations which can include prison time.
They have the ability to conduct audits, conduct interviews, seize equipment and papers, and work extremely closely with the Oversight Division to help determine what went wrong. When this is finished, they will present their findings, give recommendations, and propose solutions to ensure it can't happen again.
Election Investigation will also be responsible for providing monitoring for foreign governments or nations who request it to have independent verification of election results. This is only done upon the request of the government, party, or nation in question.
RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING: The range of positions within Election Oversight is expansive, and there are many opportunities for citizens of all walks to life to join, from business, to accounting, to security, to computer science, and to many creative fields who would be interested in maintaining a safe and secure election.
However, targeting former election workers is a priority; efforts should be to bring them on full time and develop a swath of part-time positions to encourage local involvement. Forging connections with local, national, and global filmmakers, artists, and architects should also be done to acquire their services for campaigns, should they wish to take part in the process.
Candidates should also have multiple experts on various subjects and fields to give them high-quality information.
Training is not likely to be intensive, but all employees should be taught the respective best practices that would allow them to perform their jobs well. Due to the importance of this work, all employees must be thoroughly vetted, undergo bias-training, and lack any sort of criminal record or subversive behavior.
AUTHORITY AND LIMITATIONS: The Oversight Division has authority over the process of managing elections and certifying the results. There is no other agency with this authority and they have direct control over all aspects mentioned above. They are also responsible for establishing election, campaign, and voter policy, which shall be ratified by the Congress of Nations.
Depending upon the results of their potential investigations, they have expansive legal powers to investigate the backgrounds of individuals, perform seizures and arrests, and provide legal recommendations. They are one of the only agencies in ADVENT who has the legal power to perform arrests without utilizing Peacekeepers.
This authority does not extend to matters outside electoral interest, upon which it is required that the Peacekeepers perform any legal actions.
CONCLUSION: Elections are something which should be a painless and gratifying experience. Individuals should feel pride in themselves when taking part in the process, knowing their vote is important, counts, and more importantly will go to someone who will make ADVENT better. By ensuring that all candidates are properly qualified, we have removed the deficiencies of the democratic system, tightened the security, and can say with certainty that we will have a government which will work for the greater good of ADVENT, and no one else.
ADVENT ELECTION OVERSIGHT
REGULATIONS AND GUIDELINES FOR CANDIDATES, CAMPAIGNS, AND VOTING
OVERVIEW: Elections within ADVENT are one of the most important ways the public will choose their leaders who will shape the direction of ADVENT, and it is essential that all precautions be taken to ensure they are safe, secure, and fair for all candidates. It is similarly important that no matter who is elected, the direction of ADVENT will continue with the goal of the betterment of Humanity and respect for the institutions that have been established.
These regulations are written in service of this goal and are listed below.
ELECTION REGULATIONS
Election Type: ADVENT will run elections with a ranked-choice voting system, as previous first-past-the-post systems have inherent democratic issues and often disenfranchise minority candidates. As ADVENT seeks to provide the voters with a range of acceptable candidates, they should not be restricted to a singular choice.
Voters will be able to, if there are multiple candidates running, choose up to four candidates, and rank them in order of preference. All candidates must achieve a supermajority of votes, which is defined as 65% of the vote. If no candidate wins outright, the second choice will be taken into account and added to the total. This will continue until a candidate passes this threshold.
If no candidate is capable of crossing this threshold, the elections will be redone with only the top three candidates being allowed to participate.
Election Length: The length of election cycles will be dependent on the level of office for which the candidates are running. Elections which are defined as 'local' will have a four-week campaign cycle, with one week for voting and results. Elections defined as 'state' or 'national' will have a six-week election cycle, with one week for voting and results. Elections defined as 'global' or otherwise encompass responsibilities throughout ADVENT will have an eight-week election cycle, with one to two weeks for voting and results if necessary.
To prevent an unreasonable number of candidates, there will be several cullings during the campaign cycle. ADVENT will conduct polling and compare it with other working campaigns. These results will not be published and are for internal use only. The first at the half-way point of the election cycle will remove the lower 50% of candidates from contention. At approximately one week for local and state elections, a second cull will remove the lower 50% of candidates. This second cull will be two weeks before global elections. All citizens will receive digital and mail updates as to the final ballot starting the day of the cull.
If the current number of candidates is at or below ten candidates, no culling will take place.
Upon completion and ratification of election results, the winning candidate will assume their new position approximately thirty days later, and their predecessor will work with them to ensure they understand vital components and responsibilities they will handle. If the candidate is an incumbent, they will return to their position without delay.
In the event of special elections, there will be a strict two-week campaigning period regardless of level of office, with another week for voting and results. This can be extended if more time is needed to certify results.
Election Result Publishing: Results will first be gathered by Election Management, counted, and ratified. They will then be sent to Election Security and the Oversight Division for verification. During this period there will be no initial or preliminary results released to the public and leaking results is strictly prohibited.
Election results will be released at a specified time after final certification, which will detail each 'round' of voting if a candidate did not clear the 65% threshold. This will include all gathered data from all voting locations, precincts, and states if applicable. Every piece of data which does not compromise personal data is required to be released for public review.
If additional special elections need to be called, it will be announced along with the release of results. If results are unable to be certified, the results must be published along with an explanation for why the election was voided. It must be clear that the numbers are not valid, and should not be treated as such.
Additional data such as voter turnout, peak times of voting, and demographics will also be published along with election results.
Debates and Town Halls: There will be town hall meetings each election week in multiple locations which are optional for candidates to attend, where there will be questions asked from the audience. Each candidate will have two hours of allotted time before they must depart. While not required, candidates are heavily encouraged to attend them.
The number of debates will depend on the length of the election, with two for local elections and four for all other lengths. These will be evenly spaced from the beginning of the election cycle to the end. There will be a maximum of four candidates on-stage at one time during a debate, and later debates will mix up candidate compositions. All debates will be publicly streamed and broadcasted globally.
Debates are mandatory, and cannot be refused. They will run between two to three hours, and will be focused on pre-determined topics. Each candidate will receive questions which are asked of all candidates, questions asked by opposing campaigns, and questions asked by citizens. The debates will have a minimal crowd or not one at all to limit distractions.
Candidates must answer questions to the best of their ability, or their microphones will be immediately silenced and the moderators will move to the next question. Moderators are directed to correct candidates who make incorrect statements, and if candidates insist, are required to silence them.
Candidates who consistently give false or misleading information, or who do not often directly and clearly answer questions may be recommended for removal from the electoral process, and as such it is encouraged that they adhere to the debate rules. There is no running limit for answers, though candidates are asked to not spend excessive amounts of time on answering.
Election Ballot Standards: Election ballots will be organized based on alphabetical order. Only names and a short biography and platform will be published beneath them. Any party or ideology indicators will not be indicated. All ballots will be paper, and each voter will have the option of acquiring a copy of their ballot upon submission.
There will not be spaces for write-in candidates, as they have not been cleared by Candidate Vetting and Approval. Beside each candidate name will be four boxes for marking, which will be clearly labeled '1' '2' '3' and '4' and the voter will fill in each one with a pencil or pen for the candidate they wish to indicate as their ranked choices.
Voters will be provided writing utensils or utilize their own if they have them. Ballots can be voided either before or after submission, though if voided after submission, they cannot submit a new one.
All election ballots will be sent out approximately two weeks before elections to all registered voters, who can fill them out or send them back, or vote in-person on voting days. Prior to this, a sample ballot will be sent four weeks before election days to all registered voters.
CAMPAIGN REGULATIONS
Campaign Registration and Approval: Once candidates have been cleared, they will be put in contact with Campaign Management and Distribution, who will assist in the formation of a campaign. Candidates are allowed to focus their campaign, choose advisors and staff, and put together a strategy for electoral success without limitations of budget.
Once this is done, they will submit a white paper detailing their strategy to CMAD who will review it and approve or reject it. It is unlikely to be rejected unless there are serious violations. Once this is completed, the campaign will be properly registered and campaigning can begin.
Campaign Assistance: ADVENT will provide all physical materials, connections, and advice as part of a standard package with options for additional support pending justification. ADVENT does not directly take part in designing or directing campaign signs, merchandise, or other strategy, but they will be able to produce it for them in the required quantities.
They will also be able to provide data, contacts, and set up travel arrangements throughout the place the election takes place. This can range from experts, to official ADVENT data, to speaking on popular shows, networks, or podcasts. ADVENT has a vast array of talent and connections for usage by campaigns, though they must take initiative to drive the vision of their campaign.
Campaign Limitations: Campaigns are not allowed to fundraise or acquire outside funding (more details in the next section). They are also not allowed to campaign outside of the area that is under their jurisdiction that they are running for. Campaigns are not allowed to purposefully publish or promote false, misleading, or incorrect information or data, or run the risk of arrest and investigation. If misinformation is published by accident, it should be immediately retracted upon discovery and an explanation provided, as well as the correct information.
They are also not allowed to use outside resources which are not managed through ADVENT to manage or promote their campaign. They have a limit on the number of advertisements they can run per day and week (dependent on election location), and cannot use excessive micro-targeting for online campaigning.
They cannot make any statements or indicate support that directly violates ADVENT law and standards, nor promote any figures, ideologies, or individuals who have clear anti-ADVENT sentiment or goals.
Campaign Finance: All campaigns are financed by ADVENT, and are prohibited from raising any funds from public or private sources due to potentially creating conflicts of interest. Campaigns which take money from outside sources will be immediately disbanded and placed under investigation.
If there is a funding request for something outside the standard package, a justification for additional materials will be filled out and submitted to Campaign Management and Distribution who will approve your request. ADVENT does not seek to significantly limit the creativity and reach of campaigns, and campaigns should not feel obligated to not take risks out of concern for wasting money.
But it must be emphasized that outside funding of any kind will not be tolerated. To this end campaigns are not allowed to raise money on merchandise, and all such material must be provided freely to voters.
Campaign Polling and Metrics: Public polling is prohibited due to the possibility that it could have the effect of swaying voters in a way which is not policy or candidate-based. Internal campaign polling is permitted to gather data on how best to strategize or campaign, but this data cannot be released to the public before, during, or after elections.
Additionally, candidates are not allowed to release internal numbers of their campaign staff based upon ethnicity, gender, and other metrics of organization. This also applies to aliens who work on campaigns. This information is not relevant to the public sphere and should not be used to influence elections.
This will not prevent outside observations or references, but that is permitted.
CANDIDATE REGULATIONS
Candidate Minimum Qualifications: All applicants must be citizens of ADVENT and reside in the area that holds the position they are campaigning for. They must possess two years of relevant experience to the position or hold a four-year educational degree for offices at the local level.
For state or nation levels, they must possess four years of experience or a Doctorate-level of education of the relevant field. For global level offices, they must hold six years of experience and a minimum of a four-year educational degree. This experience can be drawn from both private and public sector, including verified self-employment.
Candidate Divestment Requirements: All applicants who seek public office must provide ADVENT with a full list of their financial holdings, investments, and positions on private companies. If they wish to continue their application, they will be required to divest themselves from all potential sources of revenue and influence, and provide verified proof to ADVENT. During the campaign they will receive a stipend due to the loss of immediate revenue which will expire at the end of their campaign.
Should they fail to win their election, they will be permitted to reclaim any investments they have made. However, after leaving a public office they are not permitted to hold investments in affiliated businesses or corporations, nor hold any kind of corporate position. Exceptions can be granted by ADVENT upon review.
Candidate Criminal Record: Applicants must have a clear criminal record or have served their time fully and were released without incident. This does not apply for people who have committed murder, rape, or violent assault. Potential applicants with this within their criminal history will be barred from running.
Candidate Approval Process: Upon submission, applicants will first have their application reviewed, and if it is deemed acceptable, they will be asked to interview. This interview will be recorded and later reviewed. Applicants will then take a psychological evaluation and medical exam to prove their fitness for office.
If these are passed successfully, they must then divest themselves from financial conflicts of interest as well as provide all required financial information. Should they do this, their candidacy will be approved and they will be put in charge of forming their campaign.
Candidate Finance and Fundraising: Candidates are not permitted to perform any kind of fundraising or money acquisition, including self-funding. All funding for electoral campaigns will be provided by ADVENT, and the usage of non-approved funds is grounds for immediate disqualification and investigation.
All candidates must release their tax returns and report their net worth and wealth to ADVENT which will be used to inform citizens of their candidates. Failure to do this is grounds for disqualification.
VOTING REGULATIONS
Voter Eligibility: All voters must be at least sixteen years of age, and be a registered citizen of ADVENT and within the jurisdiction of the election in question. All voters must possess a form of ID which can be easily identified by Election officials. Please note that citizens are required by law to vote, and failure to do so will cost a monetary fine and a potential loss of benefits.
Voting Times and Locations: ADVENT will establish multiple locations within the jurisdiction of the election for ease of access, as well as ensuring that all registered voters are provided with a ballot they can mail in or otherwise send to ADVENT to ensure it is counted. The number of voting precincts will be determined upon the advice of local officials, population, and expected turnout.
Voting will take place across three days, the Friday, and following weekend. The weekday will be established as a national holiday and it will be strongly recommended that the private sector set aside time for employees to vote that day if they so wish. If they cannot vote the first day, there will be the two following days. Local transportation will be arranged for those who lack a reliable way of getting to a physical voting station.
This will be the standard for every election, with few or no anticipated changes.
Voting Independence: When citizens vote, they should do so with as little outside influence as possible. As such, there will be no campaign material at any voting locations, nor representatives of such. Attempting to subvert this will result in criminal prosecution. Voters are permitted to wear campaign material, but cannot actively advocate for their candidate of choice within or outside the voting area.
Voting Equipment and Recording: All equipment utilized for voting must not have a network connection, have software regularly updated and tested for flaws, and maintain a clear paper trail for each and every election. At each location recording equipment should be established to record any suspicious or otherwise eventful things which take place.
Only authorized officials can set up or run voting equipment, and all results must be both physically and digitally preserved, and able to be provided upon request of Election Security and the Oversight Division.
POLITICAL PARTY REGULATIONS
Party Formation and Registration: In the event that one or more individuals wishes to establish a political party or ideology, they are permitted to do so, and submit a platform for review. All individuals who wish to do this must go through the same background check as those who wish to run for public office do.
It should be noted here that political 'parties' as they are identified, are not necessarily equivalent to previous iterations, which exerted significant control over the political process from monetary, influential, and organizational standpoints. Political parties under ADVENT effectively function as groups of like-minded individuals who can more easily identify allies and aligned ideologies. Significant political power has been removed, as detailed below.
Should the requirements be completed successfully, they are able to recruit staff and candidates can align themselves with the political party. The internal rules, procedures, and methods are able to be determined by the party, without input from ADVENT.
Party Appointment: Parties are given autonomy as to how they can choose people to appoint to run in elections. It can be done internally, with a candidate being selected, or they can utilize a primary process and let affiliated voters decide the strongest candidate. In the event this path is decided, ADVENT is capable of providing infrastructure for facilitating a primary, though all campaigns will be required to operate by ADVENT laws and procedures, as documented above.
Parties have the authority to strip candidates of the affiliation, though they have no inherent legal authority over candidates.
Party Finance and Fundraising: Campaigns are forbidden from fundraising from private and public sources. ADVENT will provide a minimum amount for basic infrastructure, but unlike campaigns, any additional material or costs will have to be self-funded. Parties are also unable to campaign for any specific candidate, and can only provide the authority to use the party identifier.
Political parties cannot hold debates, town halls, or other election events. They are allowed to hold non-fundraiser events to generate interest in the party, but that is the extent to which they can advertise themselves.
Party Oversight: All political parties must be assigned an overseer from the Oversight Division with no ties or affiliation to the party in question, who will regularly conduct audits to ensure that they are following ADVENT law, and verify that the information routinely provided to ADVENT is fully accurate. Political parties will also need to fully comply with any ADVENT requests, and while they can conduct their own internal investigations, they cannot clear themselves unilaterally. All vindication must come from ADVENT directly.
As ADVENT continues to exert their executive powers, one of the greatest places that they have invested in is elections. "We have made some fundamental changes in how they are administered and managed," Kaiden Chapman, the Chief Election Overseer of ADVENT's Election Oversight Agency. "We are certain that it is the system which is best for ADVENT and our citizens."
Fundamental changes have proven to be an understatement, as ADVENT has instituted worldwide electoral reform in the span of months, moving all voting to ranked-choice formats, effectively abolishing the power of political parties and political action committees, and restricting who can actually run.
This has caused significant panic and apprehension in political parties all around the world, with many of those employed no longer sure they will be able to keep running in the days to come. "I don't see why ADVENT didn't just ban political parties," one official fumed, who declined to be named. "It would have been more honest than basically making us irrelevant."
"It felt like a slap in the face," another said. "I don't understand what this is meant to accomplish. What's the point of having candidates if the party can't even campaign for them?
Under ADVENT's new election laws, political parties would primarily exist as more of ideological alignments, and not fundraising juggernauts they have been in the past. All campaign finance outside ADVENT has been banned, meaning that all campaigns are funded completely by ADVENT.
"Sure, nothing is shady about this at all," a former party candidate said. "I'm sure that there is nothing odd about ADVENT literally controlling every aspect of finance. No big money donors I can get, but preventing even small dollar donations? Are they mad? There isn't any good reason for doing that."
Kaiden dismissed the concerns some have raised. "Money is a corrupting influence in politics. We all know that, and the best solution is to take it out of the picture entirely. Everyone is on an even playing field. They earn their support on themselves and their platform. I would expect most candidates to be happy, as now they don't have to worry about managing a budget at all."
Still, critics of the new electoral system were numerous. When ADVENT announced it was restricting who was able to run in elections, there was immediate backlash. "This is an insult to the people," ACLU spokeswoman Yolanda stated. "The people should decide who should and should not run. It shouldn't be dictated by the state."
"This is rigging at the basest level," activist Benny Walker said in an email when asked. "ADVENT literally states that candidates must be loyal to ADVENT, and not be associated with 'dissidents, criminals, and those who seek to undermine ADVENT'. It's totalitarian, and we can say goodbye to anyone ever running on changing ADVENT. Change is impossible because of this."
Social media has begun circling several petitions urging ADVENT to drop the requirement, and even calling on people to protest outside Election Oversight Headquarters. ADVENT has thus far not issued a formal response, although Election Oversight confirmed that they "Will not be altering our requirements at the behest of the twitter activists. If they believe they, or another candidate has been rejected in error, they can submit a complaint to the Oversight Division."
The Oversight Division has confirmed that they received no inquiries.
Still, the new electoral system has received extensive praise, particularly for it's progressive voting model, multiple election days, and automatic voter registration. It was praised as a significant step forward for voter accessibility, and the strong election security standards were given universal approval.
"It's good and bad," a longtime election worker said. "Functionally, this is about as much as we could ask for. Security, air-gapped voting machines, a paper trail, unlimited funding, you name it. At the same time, I don't know if it's going to make people comfortable seeing soldiers here. I remember when it was all bi or non-partisan. Now everything's run and overseen by ADVENT. I don't know how I feel about that."
When the voters first go to the polls, which may not be long in the future for some of them, they will see for themselves, and be able to judge ADVENT's election system for themselves.
- Article: ADVENT Rolls out Election Reform to Praise and Criticism
Transcript of Interview between CNN Anchor Reese May, and former RNC and DNC chairs Eli Henderson and Rudy Larson
[Reese May]: "Good morning gentleman, and thank you for taking the time to speak today."
[Eli Henderson]: "A pleasure as always."
[Rudy Larson]: "No time like the present."
[RM]: "Certainly, now I assume both of you have seen the released plan ADVENT put out concerning future elections, which include substantial changes to not just the political system, but political parties in general. What is your initial reaction?"
[RL]: "Shock. Complete shock. We were never consulted about these changes. We didn't even know something like this was on the table."
[EH]: "It isn't just us. I've talked to multiple party figures and ADVENT never once consulted with them before putting this into motion. We were never asked."
[RL]: "A travesty. Reese, my feelings are sorrow and sadness. This is a dark day, not just for democracy, not just for the American people, but for people all around the world. ADVENT has effectively said that we don't matter and we aren't worth listening to."
[EH]: "We don't often agree, but my colleague and I both recognize the implications of these rules. In short, this is very dangerous to our democracy."
[RM]: "How so? ADVENT has made a point to emphasize the security of the elections."
[EH]: "Security of elections doesn't mean anything. Elections were plenty secure before now. But if it was just those changes, I wouldn't have many issues."
[RL]: "Their emphasis on voter ID and penalties for voting are somewhat problematic, but workable. It goes far beyond it. It effectively ensures that political parties are irrelevant."
[EH]: "If political parties cannot fundraise or campaign for candidates, then I must ask what the point of one even is?"
[RM]: "One would argue to have a shared platform of like-minded individuals."
[RL]: "In an ideal world, perhaps, but political parties serve as an important means of independence and integrity. We ensured that the government did not interfere in our process, and were not handed anything, thus meaning that we knew the government wasn't influencing our elections. With these rules, we can't do that."
[EH]: "ADVENT controls the money, and by extension the campaigning. This could lead to an unprecedented surge in outsider candidates backed by ADVENT money. We will be unable to get our voting message out there, paving the way for candidates with no affiliation to potentially lie their way into office by exploiting the people, and we now have no means of speaking out without risking arrest."
[RM]: "Isn't that what debates are for? Isn't some of that on the candidate?"
[EH]: "One candidate can only do so much, that was why the party apparatus is so important. It has staff, infrastructure, and fact-checkers to make sure they were properly prepared and could respond to lies and defamations."
[RM]: "Could that not be done now?"
[EH]: "Not by the party."
[RM]: "So is anything really lost?"
[EH]: "Well, the campaign is funded and supplied by ADVENT. That is a clear conflict of interest."
[RL]: "I have more fundamental concerns, namely how this is the death of democracy as we know it because ADVENT is directly approving who can and cannot run for office."
[EH]: "Yes, that cannot be overstated."
[RL]: "For all their talk about believing parties are inherently wrong, they have unintentionally created the ADVENT party, and you are either part of it or you are not. This can allow for someone totally unknown who can run an election and win. Without any prior affiliation or connection to a party."
[EH]: "It's the perfect door to ADVENT running their own candidates as 'independents'. I would be very suspicious of any candidates running for public office. Any true candidates will be rejected, for extremely minor things or be forced to upend their lives to satisfy the requirements."
[RM]: "Such as what?"
[EH]: "First the requirement of divestments. This is, put simply, punishing the success of the hardworking man and woman. Why should a candidate give up all of their hard work? Because someone in ADVENT believes it's corrupt? This is shortsighted thinking at best, and another example of ADVENT's war on the successful and wealthy. It's disgraceful."
[RL]: "Another thing to note is that because ADVENT doesn't allow fundraising, it removes the voice from the people who would previously be able to donate en-masse to show true grassroots support. Now everyone is on an even playing field – and now there is no way to cull them. Since ADVENT is backing them, candidates who are unviable can go all the way to the end, stealing votes from legitimate candidates."
[EH]: "Which is a significant waste of taxpayer money. We need to have some way to determine the real candidates from those who are illegitimate."
[RM]: "ADVENT does have candidate cuts throughout the election cycle, and viability thresholds beforehand."
[EH]: "Not nearly strict enough. Even ten candidates is still too many for the average voter, and that is only towards the end."
[RM]: "Harsh words. In light of this, what steps are your respective parties planning to take."
[EH]: "That is still being determined."
[RL]: "Unfortunately, ADVENT has so thoroughly corrupted our courts and process that there is legitimate concern that if we speak up, we could be arrested. We are having serious discussions within the party to determine the next step."
[RM]: "Well, we wish you the best of luck, and will be watching closely what happens next."
[EH]: "Thank you, always a pleasure."
[RL]: "That it is, and we are confident we will find a legitimate and legal solution to this impasse."
"The reaction has been interesting to say the least, if not expected."
Laughs. "Did you think we wouldn't anticipate the parties, donors, and corrupt candidates throwing a fit at this? We absolutely did, and we have very little sympathy for their new plight. If they are complaining, I believe that means we did something very right. This has been one of the greatest plights in modern elections, and I'm pleased to have played a part in eliminating it."
"Money in elections, obviously. There are two sides to the issue – before candidates get into office, and when they are in office. The Congress of Nations has effectively killed the bribes in modern public service, and we were in charge of stopping them from even being considered. It is past time that elections are truly determined by the people and platforms."
"I view money in elections as fundamentally bad, no matter where it comes from. Candidates who receive money are implicitly influenced to act in a certain way, even if subconsciously. Companies, the rich, lobbyists, all of them donate – and they always expect something in return. There are very clear reasons to cut off that revenue stream."
"What many people tend to disagree with is the so-called 'small-dollar' donation. They see it as a reflection of support of the people. In a way, that is true, but the issue is that it makes them overly reliant on the public and too prone to fall into the risk of mob rule. The public is diverse, have conflicting interests, and are easily persuaded by simple plans and actions."
"The real world is complicated, far more so than any candidate will want to say in a speech. Most candidates know what they promise is never going to happen, but people will believe them if the show is good enough. Sometimes they even believe it, even if the plans are detrimental for the greater good of the people or state."
"Populism is not a solution to anything. It is an expected reaction in a failing democratic state, but most populists have plans and promises which are laughable and infeasible in a functioning government, let alone one polarized enough to lift such an individual to national prominence. However, the people at that stage are desperate for anything, and will buy into it regardless because there is no other solution."
"The last thing populist leaders need is the pressure to do what the crowd wishes, for fear of losing their revenue stream. They should act based not on what is in the best interests of their donors, but of the nation itself. In this case, that is ADVENT."
"Money has driven so much of politics around the world for so long. The best solution is to get rid of it entirely. Campaigns are built around maximizing donors, funds, and profit. Money saves campaigns or it can end them. Good candidates fade, while corrupt candidates endure. This is not a fair or just system. Which is why ADVENT provides the funding. Let the candidates focus on policy and campaigning without having to worry about it. And the public shouldn't have to feel obligated to spend money if they support the message of a candidate."
"Ok, let's hear the question."
"Too many candidates? I don't think that's a real concern, or at least I do not consider it one. That is a possibility, of course, but who exactly are we to say how many people can run? If there are twenty qualified candidates, then why is that an issue? ADVENT will benefit regardless. It will force candidates to truly stand out, but due to our move towards ranked-choice voting, and the ability to have run-off campaigns, at the end there will be a winner, no matter how many candidates run."
"Well, hard-hitting question there, 'What is the justification for restricting candidates', I certainly haven't heard that complaint in the past week. But I digress."
"A question for you, Miss Wong, would you want a random person to perform brain surgery on you?"
"I didn't think so. Most sane people wouldn't. You'd want someone who is experienced in brain surgery. So what I cannot fathom is why we don't hold the people who are literally in charge of nations of millions to any kind of standard. I would settle for a basic one beyond 'must reside in country.'"
"Our requirements are not unreasonable. If you are a citizen, have the requisite experience, have no extensive criminal background, possess a desire to improve ADVENT, and do not hold dangerous views, then you are very unlikely to get rejected. These are, quite frankly, minimal standards."
"Of course we don't want candidates to change ADVENT. We are quite pleased with the state of ADVENT right now, and when you hear people talk about 'changing' ADVENT, it is always in a destructive way. They want to return to the flawed and regressive systems of the old world, and cling to naïve memories when times were supposedly simpler and better. Why would we want this mindset in ADVENT?"
"Fair? That isn't relevant, Miss Wong. The people who run for office are people who will be given power and influence. Why would we allow power to fall in the hands of someone who fundamentally disagrees with everything ADVENT stands for? If individuals are unhappy with ADVENT, they can file a complaint or leave elsewhere."
"I said they could leave, I didn't say it would be easy for them. It will in fact be very difficult once we bring the world under our control. Simply put, people will accept our reforms or they will not. But under no circumstance will we allow regressives, dissidents, and anarchists to gain any semblance of authority in ADVENT."
"A question again, if you would indulge me, say that you managed a media center, and a person applying for a job wanted to get hired, and then get rid of your best staff, and completely change how things were run. Would you hire that person?"
"I thought not. Why would ADVENT be any different? We are not interested in people who want to change ADVENT. We want those who will strive to improve it. The candidates do not first serve the people, they serve ADVENT, and by extension, Humanity prospers. The health and prosperity of Humanity is directly tied to the health and stability of the State. If the State is weakened, Humanity is weakened."
"Ultimately, I think once people realize that this isn't as extreme as they think, and they see the system in action, they will accept it. ADVENT isn't built to cater to the dissidents and extremists. Most normal citizens will see these systems as a definite improvement, as we have effectively ensured that no matter who emerges victorious, ADVENT will only improve."
"Another question? Good."
"Yes, voting is mandatory. Citizens should understand that they have a responsibility to choose who leads them, and we want an active citizenry politically. The monetary fine is minor, and will serve as a good wake-up call. If they continue to neglect their duty, we have other means. But I suspect that it will only take one or two times."
"Yes, we've taken steps to make it as simple and painless as possible. Every citizen gets a ballot in the mail, and they can send it back or drop it off. If they don't have transportation, that is something we also provide. Everyone is automatically registered. Everyone is provided with a citizen ID. There are literally no excuses for not voting."
"Yes, we require ID to vote, why wouldn't we?"
Laughs. "That isn't a serious complaint. No one complains about requiring ID to vote unless they are idiots or want to have an illegitimate process. But I digress, we may reach a day when voter ID will not be required, but prior to that we will have to have proper advancements in facial recognition software. But I personally will always advocate for doing it this way."
"What was that?"
"Ah, right. I would say that's a fair assessment. Political parties have their place, but as more of a club or shared space for like-minded individuals. They are not inherently corrupt or immoral, but the way they function in modern politics is stifling and poisoning. Moving to a system where candidates have to run on their own merits is superior for multiple reasons."
"The first is that they cannot rely on what I would define as 'in-built' support, which are voters who vote solely based on party. This won't be completely gone, but it is reduced. Second is that political parties have far too much influence over candidates. They turn people into drones to serve unelected interests. Without the threat of the party hanging over them, they can vote as they see fit without worry over withdrawn funding or stripping of party affiliation. It will mean less than nothing."
"Last one? Sounds good."
"Public service is done for the greater good. People run for all kinds of reasons, but the spectrum can be both destructive and empowering. A candidate might run because her mother died of cancer and she wants to make sure there is funding for research. Another might run to enrich himself and his friends. What we need to do is prevent the latter, and encourage the former."
"We serve as a filter in a sense. We only seek and want those who have the drive to make the world a better place. We want the true public servants, those who work for something larger than themselves, and who have aspirations that are selfless, not selfish. The candidates of ADVENT will be diverse, qualified, and intelligent."
"It will be done in service to the greater good, and that greater good is ADVENT."
- Interview between Chief Election Overseer Kaiden Chapman in Sanctioned Interview with Jessica Wong