proj-liquidRepublic-bylaws-electingRecallableDelegate

Procedure for electing a recallable delegate

This procedure does not specify how candidates shall be nominated, nor whether the ballot shall be secret; however, these are specified elsewhere in the bylaws, in the places where this procedure is referred to.

The nomination period shall run for one month prior to the vote.

The vote to choose a delegate out of the candidates shall be done using Score Voting by the members of the constituency.

When the ballot is secret: the support of the winning candidate is consequential. If the amount of support is less than the minimum that the delegate needs, they do not take their seat, and another election is held immediately. Otherwise, the support is still used in the calculation of the winner's "strength" within the next higher-level constituency of which they have become a member.

When the ballot is public: instead of using the support of the winning candidate to calculate strength, the size of the constituency is used.

Once elected, a delegate serves until they are replaced, or until they reach their term limit. Since the delegate is never recalled until they are replaced, the position of delegate will always be occupied except in the case of unexpected resignation, incapacity, or death.

To call a replacement election, a simple majority of the constituents is needed. This may be accomplished by means of a "standing poll"; otherwise, a petition of 1/3 of the constituents is sufficient to initiate a vote on the question of whether to have a replacement election. The replacement election is just like a normal election for a delegate. While the results of the replacement election are pending, the incumbent retains power. If the incumbent has not resigned, been incapacitated, or died, then the incumbent is assumed to be a candidate in the replacement election unless they explicitly opt not to be; if they win, no change takes place. In the case of a tie, if the incumbent is one of the candidates in the tie, the incumbent wins.

In the case of unexpected resignation, incapacity or death, a temporary delegate will be elected as follows. Candidates are nominated as usual; the vote is taken on the third day following the first nomination of a candidate for the temporary position. If there is a tie, the candidate with the greatest voting weight wins. If there is still a tie, the candidate who has been a member of the organization the longest wins. If there is still a tie, the winner is decided randomly. One month after this, there shall be another election to (possibly) replace the temporary delegate. The temporary delegate may be nominated for candidacy in the follow-up election.