View source for November 2022 Local Council election

{{Infobox election
| election_name     = November 2022 Local Council election
| country           = [[The South Pacific]]
| flag_year         = 
| flag_image        = File:The flag of The South Pacific.png
| type              = legislative
| seats_for_election= All 3 seats on the [[Local Council]]
| vote_type         = Popular
| previous_election = July 2022 Local Council election
| previous_year     = July 2022
| election_date     = 1‒14 November 2022
| elected_members   = 
| next_election     = March 2023 Local Council election
| next_year         = March 2023
| opinion_polls     = 
| registered        = ~1200 regional WA members (TBD)
| turnout           = TBD
| image_upright     = 

| image1            = File:Ammar_and_casentino_18049.png
| image1_upright    = 0.3
| colour1           = ddc
| candidate1        = [[Ammar and Casentino]]
| party1            = Independent
| popular_vote1     = TBD
| percentage1       = TBD

| image2            = File:A_place_somewhere_220314.png
| image2_upright    = 0.3
| colour2           = ddc
| candidate2        = [[A Place Somewhere]]
| party2            = Independent
| popular_vote2     = TBD
| percentage2       = TBD

| image3            = File:Canadian_goose_republic_274051.jpg
| image3_upright    = 0.3
| colour3           = ddc
| candidate3        = [[Canadian Dominion]]
| party3            = Independent
| popular_vote3     = TBD
| percentage3       = TBD

| title             = Local Council
| before_election   = [[Curlyhoward]]<br>[[The free romanians]]<br>[[Trivalve]]
| after_election    = TBD
}}

The '''November 2022 Local Council election''' is an ongoing on-site election held in [[the South Pacific]] from 1‒14 November 2022 to elect a new [[Local Council]]. The three open seats are contested by 13 candidates, 11 of which will appear on the final ballot on November 7th.

== Background ==

Local Council elections are scheduled regularly in [[the South Pacific]], with all three seats up for election every March, July, and November.

The election took place under the implication of being the last Local Council election ever, with the ongoing [[2022 Great Council of the South Pacific]] having debated the abolition of the LC for several weeks and commencing a vote on the measure two days before the start of candidacy declarations.

== Electoral System ==

The Local Council Elections Act stipulates that two rounds of [[wikipedia:Plurality voting|plurality voting]] will be held to determine the three winners; voters cast their single vote in each for their most-preferred candidate. In the first round, the candidate with the most votes wins a seat ([[wikipedia:First-past-the-post voting|First-Past-The-Post]]), and all other candidates move on to a second round under the same rules, with the top-two candidates winning the final seats. Due to NationStates poll restrictions, a single poll can only allow for 11 candidates and the ''Re-Open Nominations'' option at a time, so should there be more than 11 candidates running, the field is automatically reduced by disqualifying the candidate with the lowest residency score until only 11 candidates remain in the race.<ref name="lcea">The TSP Local Council (1 Jun '20, updated 4 Apr '22): [https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1381893 Local Council Elections Act]. ''NationStates''. Retrieved 4 Nov '22.</ref>

The election would start with a three-day candidacy declarations period (during which candidates may already campaign), followed by a campaigning-only period of another three days, after which the polls would open. Each poll would last three days, with a day of downtime in between.<ref name="ec-announcement">EC Kris Kringle (1 Nov '22): [https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1788290 November 2022 Local Council Election]. ''NationStates''. Retrieved 4 Nov '22.</ref>

== Candidates ==

Thirteen candidates submitted a valid bid for the office.<ref name="ec-announcement" /> [[Orcuo]] had shortly moved their main nation a few weeks prior and, having not yet reached a score of 120 days of residency on it again, was forced to run as ''The Funny Man''. As the admissible number of candidates was exceeded by two, the candidates with the lowest and second-lowest residency score will be excluded from the ballot in case no candidate withdraws from the race prior to the start of voting; this will prospectively disqualify [[Chillicothe]] (with an expected residency score of 130.79 at the opening of the polls on November 7th) and [[TescoPepsi]] (with 139.10 respectively).<ref>[https://www.nationstates.net/nation=chillicothe/detail=trend/censusid=80 Residency graph for nation Chillicothe]. ''NationStates''. Retrieved 4 Nov '22.</ref><ref>[https://www.nationstates.net/nation=tescopepsi/detail=trend/censusid=80 Residency graph for nation TescoPepsi]. ''NationStates''. Retrieved 6 Nov '22.</ref>

{{Election table campaigns
| {{Election candidate introduction
| name = [[Ammar and Casentino]]
| flag = File:Ammar_and_casentino_18049.png
| color = #ddc
| primary_office = [[Legislators of the South Pacific | Legislator]]
| assumed_primary = September 2022
| other_offices = 
| campaign = صوتوا لعمار<ref name="campaign-ammar">Ammar and Casentino (3 Nov '22): [https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1788963 My plans as LC]. ''NationStates''. Retrieved 4 Nov '22.</ref>}}
| {{Election candidate introduction
| name = [[A Place Somewhere]]
| flag = File:A_place_somewhere_220314.png
| color = #ddc
| primary_office = Citizen of the South Pacific
| assumed_primary = January 2022
| other_offices = 
| campaign = A Place Somewhere for LC!!!!!<ref name="campaign-aps">A Place Somewhere (1 Nov '22): [https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1788657 A Place Somewhere for LC!!!!!] ''NationStates''. Retrieved 4 Nov '22.</ref>}}
| {{Election candidate introduction
| name = [[Canadian Dominion]]<br>{{small | as ''Canadian Goose Republic''}}
| flag = File:Canadian_goose_republic_274051.jpg
| color = #ddc
| primary_office = Citizen of the South Pacific
| assumed_primary = July 2021
| other_offices = 
| campaign = Goose The Only Solution, Vote Canadian Goose Republic<ref name="campaign-cd">Canadian Goose Republic (3 Nov '22): [https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1789273 Canada Goose Campaign (W.I.P)] ''NationStates''. Retrieved 4 Nov '22.</ref>}}
| {{Election candidate introduction
| name = [[Chillicothe]]
| flag = File:Chillicothe_174861.png
| color = #ddc
| primary_office = [[Legislators of the South Pacific | Legislator]]
| assumed_primary = October 2022
| other_offices = 
| campaign = Vote for Chillicothe<ref name="campaign-chillicothe">Chillicothe (1 Nov '22): [https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1788597 Vote for Chillicothe]. ''NationStates''. Retrieved 4 Nov '22.</ref>}}
| {{Election candidate introduction
| name = [[Concrete Slab]]
| flag = File:Concrete_slab_1254.png
| color = #ddc
| primary_office = Member of the [[South Pacific Coral Guard]]
| assumed_primary = August 2022
| other_offices = Ambassador to [[The League]]
| campaign = CS4LC5<ref name="campaign-cs">Concrete Slab(3 Nov '22): [https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1789527 CS4LC5!] ''NationStates''. Retrieved 4 Nov '22.</ref>}}
| {{Election candidate introduction
| name = [[Confederate Mexico]]
| flag = File:Flag of El Salvador.svg
| color = #ddc
| primary_office = Citizen of the South Pacific
| assumed_primary = October 2021
| other_offices = 
| campaign = Confederate Mexico for LC<ref name="campaign-cm">Los estados confederates de Mexico (18 Mar '22, edited 3 Jul '22): [https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1677010 Confederate Mexico for LC] ''NationStates''. Retrieved 6 Nov '22.</ref>}}
| {{Election candidate introduction | incumbent=yes
| name = [[Curlyhoward]]
| flag = File:Curlyhoward_0.jpg
| color = #ddc
| primary_office = [[Local Council | Local Councilor]]
| assumed_primary = July 2022
| other_offices = 
| campaign = My campaign<ref name="campaign-curly">Curlyhoward (1 Nov '22): [https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1788526 My campaign]. ''NationStates''. Retrieved 4 Nov '22.</ref>}}
| {{Election candidate introduction
| name = [[Drew Durrnil]]
| flag = File:Drew_durrnil_589011.png
| color = #ddc
| primary_office = Citizen of the South Pacific
| assumed_primary = September 2021
| other_offices = 
| campaign = }}
| {{Election candidate introduction
| name = [[Evinea]]
| flag = File:Evinea_916990.png
| color = #ddc
| primary_office = [[Legislators of the South Pacific | Legislator]]
| assumed_primary = September 2022
| other_offices = 
| campaign = Evinea for Local Council!<ref name="campaign-evinea">Evinea (1 Nov '22): [https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1788461 Local Council Campaign for November 2022]. ''NationStates''. Retrieved 4 Nov '22.</ref>}}
| {{Election candidate introduction
| name = [[Petea]]
| flag = File:Petea_595065.png
| color = #ddc
| primary_office = [[Legislators of the South Pacific | Legislator]]
| assumed_primary = October 2022
| other_offices = 
| campaign = }}
| {{Election candidate introduction
| name = [[TescoPepsi]]
| flag = File:Tescopepsi_281836.png
| color = #ddc
| primary_office = Citizen of the South Pacific
| assumed_primary = June 2022
| other_offices = 
| campaign = TescoPepsi for LC!<ref name="campaign-tesco">TescoPepsi (2 Nov '22): [https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1788910 TescoPepsi for LC!] ''NationStates''. Retrieved 4 Nov '22.</ref>}}
| {{Election candidate introduction
| name = [[Orcuo]]<br>{{Small|as ''The Funny Man''}}
| flag = File:The_funny_man_483933.png
| color = #ddc
| primary_office = [[Legislators of the South Pacific | Legislator]]
| assumed_primary = August 2022
| other_offices = 
| campaign = Make TSP Greatest Again<ref name="campaign-orcuo">The Funny Man (2 Nov '22): [https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1788702 The Funny Man/Orcuo for LC 2022 November (Not clickbait) (GONE WRONG) (3:00AM)]. ''NationStates''. Retrieved 4 Nov '22.</ref>}}
| {{Election candidate introduction
| name = [[Stickmin]]
| flag = File:The_stickmin_empire_255228.png
| color = #ddc
| primary_office = [[Legislators of the South Pacific | Legislator]]
| assumed_primary = August 2022
| other_offices = 
| campaign = Absolute PEAK campaign<ref name="campaign-stickmin">The Stickmin Empire (2 Nov '22): [https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=1789105 Absolute PEAK campaign]. ''NationStates''. Retrieved 4 Nov '22.</ref>}}
}}

Ammar and Casentino distinguished themselves by stating that they would not be acting as an RMB moderator but rather as a political representative of the gameside community, pointing to their prior experience as a Legislator of the Assembly for proof.<ref name="campaign-ammar" />

A Place Somewhere promised to devote as much of their time to the RMB as possible, greeting new nations and running polls; furthermore, they considered "experiment[ing] with some of the rules and try to make the TSP better".<ref name="campaign-aps" />

Canadian Dominion focused on his experience as a two-term former LC member, as well as their gameside community involvement, such as running the TSP Ice Hockey Championships.<ref name="campaign-cd" />

Chillicothe pledged to "bring a new way of doing things" to balance freedom and security, and promised to implement monthly approval polls for government accountability.<ref name="campaign-chillicothe" />

Concrete Slab heavily pushed his experience of five previous terms on the Local Council in his campaign, additionally pointing out his six passed World Assembly resolutions and trusted status as member of the [[South Pacific Coral Guard | SPCG]]; policy-wise, he simply announced to "lay down the law [and] welcome newcomers".<ref name="campaign-cs" />

Confederate Mexico's core promise was to make TSP "a stable region for everyone, not just TSP residents", claiming to be the person for the job because "a good person with a title like that trumps over anything else" and that their activity on the RMB has given them insight into the workings of it.<ref name="campaign-cm" />

Curlyhoward devoted most of their relatively short campaign to summing up their past service to the region, pledging to protect and support freedom of expression on the RMB and overall to "tirelessly provide security to my beloved South Pacific".<ref name="campaign-curly" />

Evinea campaigned on an 11-point-plan, besides usual promises of activity and law enforcement most prominently featuring an expansion of Delegate [[anjo]]'s RMB Awards programme, the creation of an "art gallery", the creation of a "purgelympics" event, and the return of the widely successful ''SwanVision'' contest from their last term.<ref name="campaign-evinea" />

TescoPepsi lamented the lack of regular fun polls in the region, vowing to change this and generally sustain high levels of activity and keep the RMB discussions clean and civil while upholding freedom of speech and giving adequate explanations for every suppression if so desired.<ref name="campaign-tesco" />

Orcuo focused his campaign on promoting free speech "no matter how concerning it may seem", executing a zero-tolerance policy against spammers and trolls, hosting daily polls and fun-facts and other events, and holding public polls on every change in LC legislation.<ref name="campaign-orcuo" />

Stickmin used their campaign to reflect on their near two-year journey through TSP politics, claiming that some other candidates would not go far on the LC and that voters should rather give their votes to more experienced people like themselves.<ref name="campaign-stickmin" />

== Campaign Scandal ==

[[File:Curlyhoward_Nov_22_LC_campaign_TG.png|thumb|Curlyhoward's campaign telegram]] After the commencement of nominations, incumbent Local Councilor [[Curlyhoward]] pinned their Conflict of Interest dispatch for the election to the region's World Factbook Entry using their Appearance powers as a Regional Officer. [[Election Commissioner]] [[Kris Kringle]] un-pinned it shortly thereafter, publicly noting his disapproval on Discord but desisting from further action. On November 3rd, Curlyhoward sent out a campaign telegram to all nations in the South Pacific using the RO power of Communications. Kris Kringle immediately filed a Criminal Complaint for the crime of Corruption before the [[High Court of the South Pacific]],<ref name="curly-case-submission">Kris Kringle (3 Nov '22): [https://thesouthpacific.org/t/1500 &#91;2210.HC&#93; Kris Kringle v. Curlyhoward]. ''High Court of the South Pacific''. Retrieved 4 Nov '22.</ref> and the Cabinet ordered Delegate anjo to suspend Curlyhoward's RO position for abuse of the same.<ref>PM Purple Hyacinth (3 Nov '22): [https://thesouthpacific.org/t/91/23 Cabinet Order 21]. Retrieved 4 Nov '22.</ref>

The Court formally indicted Curlyhoward on November 5th,<ref>Justice Griffindor (5 Nov '22): [https://thesouthpacific.org/t/1500/7 Finding of Probable Cause]. ''High Court of the South Pacific''. Retrieved 6 Nov '22.</ref> who had already pled guilty a few hours earlier.<ref>mightyjoeyoung1 (5 Nov '22): [https://thesouthpacific.org/t/1500/6 Testimony]. ''High Court of the South Pacific''. Retrieved 6 Nov '22.</ref> Curlyhoward remains in the race for reelection.

== Results ==

The results of the election are scheduled to be certified on November 14th, 2022.<ref name="ec-announcement" />

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:Elections|Local Council 2022/11]]