# State of Mayflower Electoral Rules These election rules are designed to ensure fair and transparent elections in the State of Mayflower, organized by the Mayflower Electoral Committee. All candidates, including those running on joint-tickets, must adhere to these rules. Disqualifications will apply to all elections the candidate is participating in. ### 1. Campaigning #### 1.1 Campaigning Times * Candidates must campaign only during prescribed times. * Campaigning includes any activity aimed at promoting a candidate. * Campaign Discords are exceptions and can be used for policy discussions outside of the campaign window, but candidates must not direct voters to their campaign Discords outside of prescribed times. #### 1.2 Polling Day * Candidates can enter a polling station only once on polling day to submit their ballot. Exceptions are allowed if there are less than 15 minutes remaining in polling time. * Candidates employed by public agencies must limit their duties on polling day to those not involving the protection or security of polling stations. Consistent presence near polling stations will result in disqualification. #### 1.3 Campaign Window Closure * The campaign window is closed in two intervals during an election: * Between nominations opening and the campaign window opening (announced by EEC). * On the entire election day (UK time) until polling closes. * All other times are considered open for campaigning. * Candidates can organize campaign activities like Discord servers, staff, and endorsements during the first interval but must do so privately. #### 1.4 Prohibited Actions * Candidates must not threaten, undermine, blackmail, bribe, or maliciously canvass voters. * Spamming group walls, Discord servers, or direct voter messages is strictly prohibited. * Organizing disruptive demonstrations for political purposes is not allowed. * Employees of public agencies must not campaign on duty or in uniform. #### 1.5 Campaign Discord Servers * Campaign Discord servers should only be used for one election. * These servers should not be created before the first campaign interval. * They must not serve as proxies for linking to other Discord servers. * Invites to campaign servers should only be found in linked campaign media, not in raw text. ### 2. Discord Campaigning Posts #### 2.1 Message Length * Campaign posts must not exceed 800 characters, including all characters, emojis, and links. * Candidates should use a character-counting tool provided by EEC to verify the character count. * https://charactercounttool.com/ #### 2.2 Posting Frequency * Candidates are limited to a maximum of 8 campaign posts within any continuous 24-hour period. * Candidates must ensure that there are at least 30 minutes between each post. #### 2.3 Important Factors * Deleting campaign posts should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. * Automatically deleted messages due to Discord bots are exempt. * Images and videos should be attached as file uploads, not linked URLs. * Endorsements should be listed in plain text, not as mentions. ### 3. Polling Stations #### 3.1 Voter Behavior * Voters must not loiter in polling stations and must leave after casting their vote. #### 3.2 Obstruction * Blocking or obstructing a polling station will result in criminal charges. ### 4. Petitions #### 4.1 Signature Gathering * Petitions in the #polls Discord channel are limited to Citizens of the State of Mayflower. * Signatures must reach the required amount within 10 days, unless specified in appropriate law. ### 5. Contacting Electoral Staff Candidates and their campaign teams may need to communicate with electoral staff for various reasons throughout the election process. To maintain transparency and streamline communication, the following guidelines must be followed: #### 5.1 Appropriate Channels * Candidates should use designated communication channels, such as official campaign email addresses or Discord message threads, when contacting electoral staff. * Unsolicited direct messages or personal contact with electoral staff members outside of official channels are not allowed, unless electoral staff initiates contact. #### 5.2 Respectful Communication * All communication with electoral staff must be conducted in a respectful and professional manner. * Harassment, intimidation, or disrespectful behavior towards electoral staff will not be tolerated and may result in disqualification. #### 5.3 Response Times * Candidates should allow reasonable response times when contacting electoral staff, considering their workload and responsibilities. * Urgent matters should be clearly identified as such, but candidates are expected to exercise discretion when designating an issue as urgent. #### 5.4 Confidentiality * Confidential information shared by electoral staff must be treated with the utmost discretion and not disclosed to unauthorized individuals or the public. * Candidates and their campaign teams must respect the confidentiality of electoral staff discussions and decisions. #### 5.5 Dispute Resolution * In the event of a dispute or disagreement with electoral staff decisions or actions, candidates should follow established dispute resolution procedures, which may include appeals to higher authorities or electoral review boards. #### 5.6 Reporting Violations * Candidates who believe that electoral staff members are acting inappropriately or not following established procedures should report their concerns to the Mayflower Electoral Committee for investigation. Effective and respectful communication with electoral staff is essential to ensure the integrity of the election process. Candidates are encouraged to use the designated channels for inquiries, requests, and issue resolution, while maintaining professionalism and confidentiality throughout their interactions with electoral staff. --- These election rules are designed to ensure fair competition and maintain the integrity of the electoral process in the State. Candidates and voters are expected to adhere to these rules to maintain a level playing field and uphold the democratic process.