Selling or Trading of Votes (RPG)

[Bill_in_PDX]

This is a discussion, with intent to drive changes/additions in the laws to prevent the selling or trading of votes using the coinage of the RPG game.

The RPG game is an optional component of the Demo game overall. However, the recent trend toward bartering or outright auctioning of citizen votes is something crosses over from this optional component of our system, to the serious, impacting of the actual game side.

As Judge Advocate, I feel that there is sufficient implied law to support a PI against anyone who encourages bribery, however, I feel that we should directly, within the Code of Laws, mandate against this.

The current Code of Laws, Section A, states:

Point 7 Right to Vote
a All citizens have the right to vote in all public polls.
b No citizen will be forced to cast their vote against their conscience.
c No citizen will vote more than once in the same poll.

I propose adding the following as subsection (d):

d. No citizen shall sell, trade, barter, or otherwise negotiate thier vote in any election; nor shall any citizen attempt to compel others to do the same; utilizing the currency, property, or any other negoitable instrument that may be associated with the Democracy Game.

I encourage discussion on this topic, or better wordsmithing to my proposal.

Bill
Judge Advocate

 

[Cyc]

Sounds good Bill. I will support this measure.

 

[BCLG100]

i never noticed anyone was doing it if i had seen it i would have taken measures to stamp it out

 

[Shaitan]

I honestly don't think it's necessary. If anybody actually starts buying votes they will lose their election. If it's discovered afterwards (and it will be because all of the goods of the RPG go through a public transfer) that person will never hold office again.

disorganizer's current attempt to sell his votes is his way to get the issue adressed. Remember that he was the first to pipe up that rules were needed to control this. There is no actual buying and selling of votes going on and I can't see how there will ever be.

 

[Octavian X]

I agree. However, it is entirely possible for such an exchange to be commited through a regular business transaction (ex. buying something from a shop). In anything, a measure of this sort should be added to the RPG ruleset.

 

[BCLG100]

also how would we know for sure that the person hadnt just taken the money and voted for someone else

 

[ipris]

Originally posted by BCLG100
also how would we know for sure that the person hadnt just taken the money and voted for someone else

Good point, and i think the threat of that is probably the best deterrent. If some peoples really want to try buying/selling a vote then i (personally) would say let them try. another thing, i suspect selling a vote would be costly. perhaps mass vote buying would be noticed?

 

[Great Iguanaman]

i am for this proposal. true, the average person would only be able to buy a few votes, which is still wrong. But what about, for example, donsig. He has over 13,000 g. He could buy at least 13 votes which would seriously change the direction of any election. I am 110% by this proposal.

The Great Iguanaman

 

[Bill_in_PDX]

Originally posted by Shaitan
I honestly don't think it's necessary. If anybody actually starts buying votes they will lose their election. If it's discovered afterwards (and it will be because all of the goods of the RPG go through a public transfer) that person will never hold office again.

Actually, I don't think that is necessarily true. As dis pointed out, there is nothing in place to stop it, and frankly, I didn't see a comment out of a mod or citizen against it when dis started selling his votes.

I note he was trying to make a point, and I think he did, therefore I suggest we make it official.

 

[Strider]

Originally posted by Bill_in_PDX


Actually, I don't think that is necessarily true. As dis pointed out, there is nothing in place to stop it, and frankly, I didn't see a comment out of a mod or citizen against it when dis started selling his votes.

I note he was trying to make a point, and I think he did, therefore I suggest we make it official.

I believe we should not let people buy votes at all, but hiring someone to TRY to get votess for them(mainly campaign managment) should still be allowed.

 

[Zarn]

Originally posted by Strider


I believe we should not let people buy votes at all, but hiring someone to TRY to get votess for them(mainly campaign managment) should still be allowed.

Yes, campaigning is good. The campaigner doesn't have to vote for the person (but it would be awkward if he doesn't), but only produce propaghanda, which has been done in sigs before.

Votes should not be sold or bought or traded for.

 

[Octavian X]

I think that the buying and selling of votes already violates the CoL, as stated in the first post. If anything, we should at least add tot he RPG ruleset to prevent this.

I believe that this could become a very serious problem.

 

[Eklektikos]

I support the measure proposed by Bill because, while the buying and selling of votes is a violation of democratic principle, it does not force anyone to cast their vote against their conscience and therefore does not violate any of the existing laws regarding voting.

I'll concur with Shaitan that there doesn't actually seem to be much, if any, actual trade in votes going on so far but would like to point out that in a matter like this, prevention is better than a cure. It might be that no one (barring Fanatika's provocateur extraordinaire, Disorganizer ) will ever seriously try to trade votes, but enacting a preventative law such as this will do no-one any harm and will guard against even the faintest possibility of such controversy casting doubt over the integrity of our electoral system. Seems like a "win : win" situation to me...

 

[Bill_in_PDX]

Obviously I agree with the wisdom of Eklektikos.

Again, I note that nothing specific prevents such activity. I made an argument in an earlier thread that there is also nothing that prevents me from jumping into the RPG thread and saying that I have robbed the bank of Fanatika, and now all of the gold has been converted into money that only I can use.

The big difference would be that my hypothetical bank robbery, like the RPG itself, does not impact the game. But a tainted election could well bring down the game itself.

In the alternative, I would have not proposed this had I seen immediate, direct, and firm moderator action against the concept of selling votes. Having not seen that occur, I feel it is my duty as the Judge Advocate to act proactively.

I did note that eyrei indicated he would not allow a bought vote to be transferred over to the real game. However, the auction of the vote itself was not stopped, and I am always an advocate of solving problems within the game, versus dumping responsibility on the mods.

Bill
Judge Advocate

 

[BCLG100]

i have posted in the thread and i know im not a mod but i am manager so i dont think it should continue

 

[eyrei]

I think what dis wants is someone to make an actual rule about it. This could be handled in a couple ways. A rule against selling votes could be drafted and voted on as part of the RPG. Or (and the less appealing option) one of the mods could simply 'lay down the law'.

 

[Great Iguanaman]

lets lay the law down. If it is voted on, the people for it would simply buy other votes and keep it from passing.

The Great Iguanaman

 

[Chieftess]

I agree make a law against it. (As mod, president and citizen. ) It might not even be directly. It could be "Hey, vote for that canidate, and I'll give you 1,000g.

 

[GenMarshall]

There should be a law against the buying and selling of votes. It just is another Political party in desguise and there for, would violate the CoL.

 

[Stuck_as_a_Mac]

we need to put a stop to this now before donsig buys out every voter in Fanatika!