Passed Criminal Code (Amendment) Act, 2021

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EUKBICR

EUKBICR

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A MOTION

To amend the law "Criminal Code Act UL-004"
Introduced into the SENATE of the Union of Democratic States on the 14 of August, 2021, by SUPERSAURUS
As follows:
​

WHEREAS "Electoral Fraud" is currently defined as the unauthorised release of classified votes or the submission of multiple or falsified ballots,
WHEREAS this excludes the widely frowned upon practise of "voter importation", which involves the importation of corrupt voters and subsequent organisation to vote for a corrupt purpose,
BELIEVING that the Criminal Code needs to be amended to include voter importation as Electoral Fraud,
HEREBY AMENDS UL-004 as follows:

Section 1: Definitions and Short Title
1. This Act may be referenced as the "Criminal Code Electoral Fraud Definition Update of 2021"


Section 2: Provisions
1. Section 3, Clause 2 shall read "A person is guilty of Electoral Fraud when they:
  • Disclose the votes of individuals when doing so is not strictly necessary for the administration of the election,
  • Intentionally submit multiple ballots or falsified ballots, or
  • Recruit voters to vote in a specific way for a corrupt purpose, or knowingly participate in said electoral fraud effort as a recruit while being aware of the underlying corrupt purpose.
Electoral Fraud is classified as a High Crime."
 
So this bill just amends the Criminal Code to include voter importation as Electoral Fraud. Currently, a corrupt individual can recruit others to join the UDS and vote in a specific way, so as to manipulate the democratic process, which if this passes would be considered Electoral Fraud.

- Supersaurus/Python
 
This amendment seems like a no-brainer to fix a potential issue in the future. I see no reason to waste time debating it on the forum. I move to close the debate period.
 
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Recruit voters to vote in a specific way for a corrupt purpose, or knowingly participate in said electoral fraud effort as a recruit while being aware of the underlying corrupt purpose. - without clarificatiom this could be seen to criminalize campaigning for someone to vote for you or in favor of a bill. It should specify something about acquiring citizenship
 
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Glaciosia said:
Recruit voters to vote in a specific way for a corrupt purpose, or knowingly participate in said electoral fraud effort as a recruit while being aware of the underlying corrupt purpose. - without clarificatiom this could be seen to criminalize campaigning for someone to vote for you or in favor of a bill. It should specify something about acquiring citizenship
Click to expand...
I agree, we need to specify that and set up a time period where acquiring citizenship would be considered illegal. Also, you disclosing your own vote should not be illegal.
 
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Glaciosia said:
Recruit voters to vote in a specific way for a corrupt purpose, or knowingly participate in said electoral fraud effort as a recruit while being aware of the underlying corrupt purpose. - without clarificatiom this could be seen to criminalize campaigning for someone to vote for you or in favor of a bill. It should specify something about acquiring citizenship
Click to expand...
So something like this?
Recruit voters to join the Union of Democratic States to vote in a specific way for a corrupt purpose, or knowingly participate in said electoral fraud effort as a recruit while being aware of the underlying corrupt purpose.
Click to expand...
EUKBICR said:
I agree, we need to specify that and set up a time period where acquiring citizenship would be considered illegal. Also, you disclosing your own vote should not be illegal.
Click to expand...
That's already in the Citizenship act :p
Applications can not be approved within 3 days of any election period being opened and throughout the election period.
Click to expand...
The part about disclosing your own vote, how about something like this:
Disclose the votes of other individuals when doing so is not strictly necessary for the administration of the election,
Click to expand...
 
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Since apparently I need to propose an amendment, I propose this amendment:

WHEREAS "Electoral Fraud" is currently defined as the unauthorised release of classified votes or the submission of multiple or falsified ballots,
WHEREAS this excludes the widely frowned upon practise of "voter importation", which involves the importation of corrupt voters and subsequent organisation to vote for a corrupt purpose,
BELIEVING that the Criminal Code needs to be amended to include voter importation as Electoral Fraud,
HEREBY AMENDS UL-004 as follows:

Section 1: Definitions and Short Title
1. This Act may be referenced as the "Criminal Code Electoral Fraud Definition Update of 2021"


Section 2: Provisions
1. Section 3, Clause 2 shall read "A person is guilty of Electoral Fraud when they:
  • Disclose the votes of other individuals when doing so is not strictly necessary for the administration of the election,
  • Intentionally submit multiple ballots or falsified ballots, or
  • Recruit voters to join the Union of Democratic States to vote in a specific way for a corrupt purpose, or knowingly participate in said electoral fraud effort as a recruit while being aware of the underlying corrupt purpose.
Electoral Fraud is classified as a High Crime."
Click to expand...
 
A motion to close debate has been moved. Those in favour may say Aye, those against may say No.
 
I'm going off the amended post here --

I just have a few short comments. I think we should further define 'corrupt', instead of leaving that there, to make this law less ambiguous. I think corrupt could be interpreted differently. What if I asked a few friends to join the region because it was really cool, I had a lot of plans for my presidency, and I wanted them to help out? If they voted for me, would that be corrupt? Vs if I said something like "join this region just so you can vote for me".

I'm also not convinced yet, that asking people in NationStates to legally obtain citizenship in our region, and to vote in a Presidential election to support a platform that I believe in (mine lol) should be classified as a crime, vs just being unethical. I'm not saying it shouldn't be a crime, but I'm not wholly convinced that it is.
 
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moe said:
I'm going off the amended post here --

I just have a few short comments. I think we should further define 'corrupt', instead of leaving that there, to make this law less ambiguous. I think corrupt could be interpreted differently. What if I asked a few friends to join the region because it was really cool, I had a lot of plans for my presidency, and I wanted them to help out? If they voted for me, would that be corrupt? Vs if I said something like "join this region just so you can vote for me".

I'm also not convinced yet, that asking people in NationStates to legally obtain citizenship in our region, and to vote in a Presidential election to support a platform that I believe in (mine lol) should be classified as a crime, vs just being unethical. I'm not saying it shouldn't be a crime, but I'm not wholly convinced that it is.
Click to expand...
If you ask them to join within three days before the elections is called, they won’t be admitted into the Union as citizens anyway.
 
moe said:
I'm going off the amended post here --

I just have a few short comments. I think we should further define 'corrupt', instead of leaving that there, to make this law less ambiguous. I think corrupt could be interpreted differently. What if I asked a few friends to join the region because it was really cool, I had a lot of plans for my presidency, and I wanted them to help out? If they voted for me, would that be corrupt? Vs if I said something like "join this region just so you can vote for me".
Click to expand...
Well the first one would probably not be considered corrupt so... :p
moe said:
I'm also not convinced yet, that asking people in NationStates to legally obtain citizenship in our region, and to vote in a Presidential election to support a platform that I believe in (mine lol) should be classified as a crime, vs just being unethical. I'm not saying it shouldn't be a crime, but I'm not wholly convinced that it is.
Click to expand...
If you are inviting them for no reason other than to vote for you, then yes that is corrupt and should be considered fraud.
 
Then I think the law should just read something like “if a candidate recruits voters or new citizens for the sole purpose of votes” etc.. rather than corrupt. and tbh, i still think this is hard to prove, because how would you differentiate between something like asking people to join the region and check out the election, get involved, and they just happen to vote in an election, vs mass importing voters? It’s hard to prove imo — you would probably need a direct admission that that’s what they intended. I think I would be able to get behind this law if that’s how it was phrased — at the moment, I think corrupt is a little vague
 
moe said:
Then I think the law should just read something like “if a candidate recruits voters or new citizens for the sole purpose of votes” etc.. rather than corrupt. and tbh, i still think this is hard to prove, because how would you differentiate between something like asking people to join the region and check out the election, get involved, and they just happen to vote in an election, vs mass importing voters? It’s hard to prove imo — you would probably need a direct admission that that’s what they intended. I think I would be able to get behind this law if that’s how it was phrased — at the moment, I think corrupt is a little vague
Click to expand...
If you want to move this amendment, please do so.
 
WHEREAS "Electoral Fraud" is currently defined as the unauthorised release of classified votes or the submission of multiple or falsified ballots,
WHEREAS this excludes the widely frowned upon practise of "voter importation", which involves the importation of corrupt voters and subsequent organisation to vote for a corrupt purpose,
BELIEVING that the Criminal Code needs to be amended to include voter importation as Electoral Fraud,
HEREBY AMENDS UL-004 as follows:

Section 1: Definitions and Short Title
1. This Act may be referenced as the "Criminal Code Electoral Fraud Definition Update of 2021"


Section 2: Provisions
1. Section 3, Clause 2 shall read "A person is guilty of Electoral Fraud when they:
  • Disclose the votes of other individuals when doing so is not strictly necessary for the administration of the election,
  • Intentionally submit multiple ballots or falsified ballots, or
  • Recruit voters or new citizens to join the Union of Democratic States for the sole purpose of voting in an election.
Electoral Fraud is classified as a High Crime."


The last line is what I'm thinking of proposing, but I'm open to other suggestions as well.
 
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