View source for July 2022 Delegate election

{{Infobox election
| election_name     = July 2022 Delegate election
| country           = [[The South Pacific]]
| flag_year         = 
| flag_image        = File:The flag of The South Pacific.png
| type              = presidential
| vote_type         = Popular
| previous_election = January 2022 Delegate election
| previous_year     = January 2022
| election_date     = 1‒22 July 2022
| elected_members   = 
| next_election     = January 2023 Delegate election
| next_year         = January 2023
| opinion_polls     = 
| registered        = 61 [[legislators of the South Pacific]] (1st)<br>1051 regional WA nations (2nd)
| turnout           = 47.54% (1st)<br>12.75% (2nd)

| image1            = File:Tepertopia_346854.png
| image1_upright    = 0.3
| colour1           = ddc
| candidate1        = [[anjo]]
| party1            = Independent
| popular_vote1     = 84
| percentage1       = 62.69%

| title             = Delegate
| before_election   = [[PenguinPies]]
| after_election    = [[anjo]]
}}

The '''July 2022 Delegate election''' was an election held in [[the South Pacific]] from 1‒22 July 2022 to elect the [[Delegate of the South Pacific]] for the July‒January '22/'23 term. [[PenguinPies]], the incumbent, first declared her candidacy, but withdrew due to changing real-life circumstances later during campaigning. The only other candidate, [[anjo]], received landslide approval of over 90% in the forum round and, together with the ''Re-Open Nominations'' option, advanced to the gameside round. Once the second round of the concurrent [[July 2022 Local Council election]] had ended, the on-site polls opened, with a tight race between anjo and ''RON'' in the first few days, which widened to a comfortable 34-vote victory for anjo after renewed campaign efforts by him on the RMB and in telegrams.

== Background ==

[[Delegate of the South Pacific|Delegate]] elections in [[the South Pacific]] take place every six months, with one scheduled in January and another in July. According to the [[Elections Act]], a Delegate election had to be called on the 1st of July, 2022.

== Electoral System ==
{{Main|Delegate of the South Pacific#Election}}

The Delegate is elected in a two-step process. In a first round, held on the forums, [[legislators of the South Pacific]] determine two advancing candidates using [[wikipedia:Approval voting|approval voting]]. The top-two (or more, should there be a tie) most-approved candidates move on to a regional poll held on-site, where regional World Assembly member nations ultimately vote on the winner using the [[wikipedia:Two-round system|two-round system]].

The declarations and campaigning periods would run concurrently for a week, after which the first round of voting would be held, lasting three days. A day after this concludes, the second round of voting would commence, with the poll remaining open for another week. Thereafter, the [[Election Commissioner]] would proclaim the results.<ref name="schedule">EC Kris Kringle (1 Jul '22): [https://tspforums.xyz/thread-10587.html Declarations of Candidacy]. Retrieved 9 Jul '22).</ref>

Due to the [[July 2022 Local Council election]] running at the same time, the gameside poll was planned to be delayed until 15 July.<ref name="schedule" />

== Campaign ==

Incumbent [[PenguinPies]] first accepted a nomination and campaigned for reelection but withdrew later on due to real-life commitments; [[anjo]] also accepted his nominations. [[Amerion]] deferred his nomination, but did not accept or deny it later on; [[Kris Kringle]] never responded to his.<ref name="schedule" />

{{Election table campaigns
| {{Election candidate introduction | incumbent=yes | withdrawn
| name = [[PenguinPies]]
| flag = File:Penguinpies_157547.jpg
| primary_office = [[Delegate of the South Pacific]]
| assumed_primary = February 2022
| other_offices = Member of the [[Council on Regional Security]]<br>Member of the [[Legislator Committee]]
| campaign = Penguin for Delegate Vol2<ref name="pen-campaign">Penguin (4 Jul '22): [https://tspforums.xyz/thread-10592.html Penguin for Delegate Vol2]. Retrieved 9 Jul '22.</ref>}}
| {{Election candidate introduction
| name = [[anjo]]
| flag = File:Tepertopia_346854.png
| primary_office = [[Director of the Office of World Assembly Legislation]]
| assumed_primary = April 2022
| other_offices = Member of the [[South Pacific Coral Guard]]<br>Member of the [[Legislator Committee]]<br>Ambassador to [[the Free Nations Region]]
| campaign = Cake Supremacy<ref name="anjo-campaign">anjo (5 Jul '22): [https://tspforums.xyz/thread-10594.html Cake Supremacy]. Retrieved 9 Jul '22.</ref>}}
}}

=== Penguin ===

Penguin's campaign was again short, declaring to avoid "fancy promises [and] graphics". She started out by conceding starting difficulties during her term, but expressed satisfaction with her increasing hold on the job's duties as the term progressed and that she gave it her best. On the World Assembly, she lauded incumbent Director anjo and how the two of them worked together in taking care of TSP's WA interests. Lastly, she stated a desire that government ministers might increase their visibility on the Regional Message Board, claiming that it's "pretty cool if you give it a go", and closed with another pledge to give her best for TSP if re-elected.<ref name="pen-campaign" /> 

[[HumanSanity]] delivered scathing criticism of her term in the campaign thread, but Penguin didn't get to counter, as she withdrew her candidacy on 6 July, citing important shifts in her real-life obligations which would prevent her from efficiently holding office.<ref>Penguin (6 Jul '22): [https://tspforums.xyz/thread-10592-post-232922.html#pid232922 RE: Penguin for Delegate Vol2]. Retrieved 9 Jul '22.</ref>

=== anjo ===

anjo based his campaign on the common ''Cake vs Pie'' debate in the South Pacific, in reference to Penguin being on the forefront of the pie side and himself liking cake better. Structured like a WA Security Council Declaration, he focused on three points, namely safety, the World Assembly, and gameside presence. He promised to support Delegate‒OWL collaboration and continue the popular monthly "endorsement days". Furthermore, he pledged to efficiently work together with the [[Local Council]] in routine border control actions. Regarding gameside presence, he suggested a new RMB Award program to reward high-quality posting more and stated that he would strive to keep a daily presence on the RMB, possibly supported by several "daily" formats (with ''Question of the Day'' and ''Today in History'' given as examples).<ref name="anjo-campaign" />

After the gameside poll opened, several early votes for the ''Re-Open Nominations'' option led to a tight race between anjo and RON over the first two days of voting, with anjo's lead regularly swinging between zero and five votes. Early independent inquiry about the reasons for the many RON votes remained without much response,<ref>HumanSanity (15 Jul '22): [https://www.nationstates.net/page=rmb/postid=48208307 RMB Post]. ''Regional Message Board of the South Pacific''. Retrieved 18 Jul '22.</ref> and [[Evinea]] and [[Bistritza]] began soft campaigns on the RMB in favor of anjo.<ref>Evinea (16 Jul '22): [https://www.nationstates.net/page=rmb/postid=48211885 RMB Post]. ''Regional Message Board of the South Pacific''. Retrieved 18 Jul '22.</ref><ref>Bistritza (16 Jul '22): [https://www.nationstates.net/page=rmb/postid=48212010 RMB Post]. ''Regional Message Board of the South Pacific''. Retrieved 18 Jul '22.</ref> On late 16 July, with the poll tied 42‒42, anjo talked through possible measures to flip RON voters, with several people (including [[Moon]], [[Proctethia]], [[Drystar]], and [[Pronoun]]) joining in and concurrently making statements in support of anjo on the RMB.<ref>[https://www.nationstates.net/region=the_south_pacific/page=display_region_rmb?postid=48217134#p48217134 RMB message history]. ''Regional Message Board of the South Pacific''. Retrieved 18 Jul '22.</ref><ref>[https://discord.com/channels/121429943262511104/766109092909416460/997862152859815967 #government-island message history]. ''TSP Discord Server''. Retrieved 18 Jul '22.</ref> After personally talking with a number of RMB nations, enough votes were recruited or flipped for a 47‒40 lead on the end of 16 July, which continued to widen following personal telegram conversations of anjo with RON voters.

== Results ==

[[Election Commissioner]] [[Kris Kringle]] proclaimed the results of the forum round on 11 July.<ref>EC Kris Kringle (11 Jul '22): [https://tspforums.xyz/thread-10620.html Proclamation of Results]. Retrieved 12 Jul '22.</ref>

{{Election table results
| type = AV
| title = Forum Round
| ballots = 28
| ron = 2
| invalid = 1
| {{Election candidate results |
| name = [[anjo]]
| vote = 26
| ballots = 28}}
}}

The overall election results were certified by the Election Commissioner on 22 July, proclaiming anjo the Delegate-elect.<ref>EC Kris Kringle (15 Jul '22, edited 22 Jul '22): [https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1733390#results July 2022 Delegate election]. Retrieved 24 Jul '22.</ref>

{{Election table results
| type = 2RS
| title = Gameside Round
| ballots = 134
| ron = 50
| invalid = 0
| {{Election candidate results | win
| name = [[anjo]]
| vote = 84
| ballots = 134}}
}}

== Transition ==

The transition period of the Delegacy officially began with the certification of the gameside round. According to the Elections Act, the Delegate-elect is inaugurated upon taking the on-site Delegate seat; until then, their only task is gathering enough endorsements for this.

On 24 July, Delegate-elect anjo sent telegrams to every nation not currently endorsing him.

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:Elections|Delegate 2022/07]]