Done

Quote from: Baron Alexandreu Davinescu on Yesterday at 06:48:24 PMPlease remove BenArd, and add Moses Henry Emefiele to our list, @Sir Lüc . Thank you!

Added Moses. BenArd is not on your list, I am assuming you mean Mximo?

Eeh, I have just spotted a bug in the code that meant the "Enable preview ballot" admin toggle functioned the wrong way around. Apologies for that. Because of it, the code checking for permission to actually use the preview ballot would boot users out if the option was enabled, rather than disabled, unless they were administrators, which is why I didn't spot this earlier.

This is now fixed and the preview function should work as expected.

Quote from: Garth Spencer on Yesterday at 03:59:25 PMDear Burgermeister,

I wish to re-register the following political party in the Cosa. Is it permissible for me to send you the registration fee by an e-transfer to this email? Is it permissible for me to send it on Friday, August 14th, which is one day after the stated deadline?

Particulars:

Full party name: The Independent Green Anarcho-Surrealist Party

Party leader:  Garth Spencer

General aims and views:  The Independent Green Anarcho-Surrealist Party aims to fight gravity and boredom in Talossan affairs by introducing levity, interest, and strange resolutions to the Cosa. We encourage all Talossans, especially elected representatives, to do something funny or at least surreal every day. Get surreal!

List of candidates: Garth Spencer

Yours,

Garþ Açafat

Azul Garth, I have moved your registration to the appropriate thread. (And took notice of it, and will be adding you to the ballot ASAP)

Tagging @xpb for how to pay the fee, but just wanted to point out the deadline for the fee is September 30 if you don't intend to send campaign mailers; if you pay earlier, you can send those as soon as you do, but you don't need to pay by August 13/14/15 to appear on the ballot.

Sent out: Aug 12, 2026, 2:21 PM TDT / 7:59 PM UTC
Submitted by: Mic'haglh Autófil on behalf of the Uniun dels Reformistaes Livereschti (URL)
Count: 1 of 1 allowed before Balloting Day

---

Azul Talossaes! / Greetings, Talossans!

It is once again time for a Talossan general election, and I am here to humbly request your vote for the Union of Free Reformists (URL).

We are the Opposition in the outgoing Cosă, but have also played a constructive role in working with the current Government party, the Progressive Alliance, over the last six months. We've ensured stability, offered a sensible alternative to politically extreme or otherwise unsavory parties, and have played a key role in passing some seriously good legislation to make Talossa more democratic -- some of which will be on your ballot this time!

However, we also recognize that Talossa needs a change of government. The Progressive Alliance's government has run out of steam. They came into office with the perspective that they would be able to hugely boost immigration - even double the population! They found out that was unrealistic and then burnt themselves out trying to do too much, with few of their members remaining active. In this election, they're offering a much more humble program of small initiatives.

The URL, however, are confident we can do better than that. The best part is that we have the resources and the plan to make it happen. Here are our three big goals for the 63rd Cosă:

- Front and center is our Democracy Agenda, a package of reforms to increase the influence that voters like you have on Talossan politics. Talossa's institutions should fit the Talossan people instead of the other way around, and the Democracy Agenda recognizes this and promotes common-sense changes to get us there.

- An immigration policy that focuses on recruiting the sort of people whose interests overlap with what Talossa has to offer. Immigration should be about setting the country up for long-term growth, instead of constantly needing to recuperate losses due to attrition and apathy.

- Government shouldn't be a single key figure working themselves to the bone just to come up short anyway. The URL recognizes that things work better when the folks getting things done are part of a team. It's something we take seriously, to the extent we practice it as a party ourselves -- collective leadership instead of one boss making all the decisions. We'll return Talossa to the tried-and-true method of Government By A Team.

There's quite a bit more information on our Wittenberg board, and we'd encourage you to check it out and get in the know. Polling starts this Saturday, August 15th; look forward to more good news from the URL then!

Ja Pevar Din 'n Uniun - There is Power in a Union!

Mic'haglh Autofil
President and Seneschal Candidate
Union of Free Reformists (URL)

Sent out: Aug 12, 2026, 11:21 AM TDT / 4:21 PM UTC
Submitted by: Alexandreu Davinescu on behalf of the Progressive Alliance
Count: 1 of 1 allowed before Balloting Day

---

<PROG logo>

We've had six months of Progressive government, and a lot has gotten done for the people of Talossa!  But we need your support to get more built for you, like some real physical embassies, some beautiful paper maps, and a new approach to our national website.

The election is in a few days... vote Progressive, and let's get even more done for you!

<video embed: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/isC6AS3gVjs>
<link: https://talossa.com/infoteca/>
<video embed: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dCgsJlQpXZ8>

What Have We Done?
We remade the entire immigration system, eliminated a huge vulnerability exposing your personal information, made a bunch of promotional videos and Reddit posts, ran an experiment to show they worked, revamped and massively updated our information portal of Infotecă, centralized government positions and major policies for the first time ever, reopened our merchandise store after a long time, eliminated the government's ability to secretly control immigration, eliminated the ability of the Seneschal to make permanent laws by themselves with just His Majesty's agreement, and fought tooth and nail to preserve the Senate.  It's been the most productive term in years... let's keep it rolling!

What Do We Want to Do?
We still need some private partners to launch a central depository of files and images, plus starter kits for organizations.  Have an idea?  Let us help you make it a reality!  Plus, we still want to rework the whole way the Government is structured -- we need your support to reform it for a new age!

We have new ideas, too!  We want to establish physical embassies around the world, with a goal of at least three.  And we want to make real maps of our territory -- beautiful, professional-looking maps anyone can print -- to hang in our new embassies!  And we want to overhaul our entire web presence, so that we're not so completely dominated by a web forum.  Our plans are so good that even our main opponents in the election are happy with them!  Let's have another blockbuster term: vote Progressive!

<PROG logo>

Azul, in compliance with El Lexhatx D.7.6.5.5 and as a result of the Data Protection Act, the Chancery will maintain this thread as a record of all electoral communications that are being sent out under the provisions of D.7.6.5.

Discussion on the content of the mailers is welcome through opening other threads, but this thread will remain locked to ensure it remains strictly a record of sent mailers.

Edit: Forgot to mention that the emails are sent with their images embedded, so they won't paste here properly because there's no url to refer to.

Quote from: Breneir Tzaracomprada on Yesterday at 09:41:57 AM@Sir Lüc I was reviewing the example ballot and came away with a question. Mximo Carbonel is a sitting senator (Florencia) and presumably can't hold both his current seat and be a member of the Cosa. Can he legally stand as a member of this list?

Yes he can, but of course he won't be eligible to accept Cosă seats should he be assigned any, unless he also resigns his Senate seat.

This is admittedly more unusual than the common practice of Senate candidates also appearing in a Cosă list, but we had candidates running for incompatible positions in the past; the first one that comes to mind is Béneditsch Ardpresteir winning the Senate race for Maricopa in the 50th Cosă elections, despite being a sitting CpI Justice at the time. He had to decide which position he wanted to keep, and ultimately elected to remain on the bench, with Sir Cresti being appointed Senator by the Premier of Maricopa (can't immediately remember who that was) in his stead.

In other words: running for an incompatible position is legal, but accepting the election without resolving the incompatibility is not.

Quote from: Aleksandr on August 11, 2026, 05:12:53 PMHello everyone, I am a self-nominee! Vote for me and I will stop all military actions!!!

Azul! You are a citizen of Atatürk, not Fiovă. By my reading, the Fiovan constitution does not mandate that members of the Praesidium must be Fiovan, simply that they are elected by the Fiovan citizenry. However, unlike the similar Praesidium-like Council in Belacostă, from macronational context I think the Praesidium is intended to be a subset of the General Assembly, to sit on which you do need to be Fiovan.

I will defer to @Miestră Schivă, UrN-GC on this, of course, as I don't think it falls upon me to interpret Fiovan law, I just run the election according to instructions.

GROUP 9
4. Matia Bazar - Vacanze Romane
3. Gorillaz - On Melancholy Hill
2. Led Zeppelin - Kashmir
1. Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun

GROUP 10
4. Radiohead - Paranoid Android
3. The Who - Baba O'Riley
2. Blur - The Universal
1. Peter Gabriel - Solsbury Hill

Quote from: Miestră Schivă, UrN-GC on August 10, 2026, 05:43:48 PM

Quote from: Sir Lüc on August 10, 2026, 04:47:21 PMWe're seemingly deciding that it is acceptable to kick the can down the road and submit to the citizenry an amendment whose effects we are effectively agreeing to settle after the election.

This is the outcome of rushed legislation that was required to get a 2/3 majority consensus before a hard deadline. And this is also why we need a professional, full-time civil servant to proofread legislation.

Also: this is absolutely true (don't make me get on my CRL replacement spiel again), but a simple commencement clause would also have saved us.

I brought them up ages ago (most likely around OrgLaw reform period of 2017-2019) while researching British bills, which all have them, and while I think the public answer was "they're unnecessary", I still think it would be a good habit to have a clear final clause stating when bills are supposed to go into effect.

Quote from: Miestră Schivă, UrN-GC on August 10, 2026, 05:43:48 PMHowever: there is no dispute over what RZ26 does, only the point at which it happens. Assuming there are no snap elections, by February it won't matter.

Right, but the description I proposed for RZ26 supports what you're saying: the only "points at which it happens" that are in there are the seats-per-member cap raise happening immediately, in the third bulletpoint, and the 20-seat Cosă entering into effect at the first election after next February, just as you mentioned, which is in the first bulletpoint.

I'm genuinely struggling to put into words my thoughts here, and I couldn't find any time to do so over the weekend, so this response is also rather delayed, so I apologise in advance on both counts.

That said, my thinking roughly boils down to two aspects.

1), about the descriptions themselves: Objections to option 3 all seem to be about RZ26's effects, rather than the idea of summaries themselves, especially since it seems like everyone would rather ditch the full text rather than keep it, if that was the binary choice. I take it to mean that if we truly think interpreting RZ26's effect by the majority opinion is unacceptable, then we might as well keep the other summaries and only apply option 2 to RZ26.

2), about RZ26: We're seemingly deciding that it is acceptable to kick the can down the road and submit to the citizenry an amendment whose effects we are effectively agreeing to settle after the election. I don't think that is wise nor a good thing for Talossan democracy. (Partially, I suppose, because it seems like there is only one person actually disagreeing with the majority opinion.)

Azul, the Chancery is pleased to release to the public a preview-mode version of the ballot for the upcoming General Elections. You can find it at https://database.talossa.com/elections/august-2026-elections/preview.

If you log in to the Database beforehand (should you have credentials), you will receive a voting confirmation email which in itself is a preview of what everyone will receive when casting a vote in the actual election. This is a new feature that was still missing from the new Database.

Other changes with respect to the previous election include:

• Redesigned party options, incl. to offer a better experience on mobile
• A confirmation modal to recap your choices and make sure voters's choices are recorded properly (including warning when parts have been left blank or when there are duplicate ranked votes)
• Various visual tweaks (e.g. better use of colours to visually separate parts of the ballot) and usability improvements (e.g. when selecting a write-in citizen from the dropdown, the "write-in" option will automatically be marked)

The design of the ballot, of the confirmation email and of the receipt page may receive further tweaks before voting begins.

Please use this thread for bug reporting and feedback.

In my mind, the options here are three:

• Continue displaying the full text of the amendment up for ratification on the ballot;
• Displaying nothing in particular except for a link to the full text of the amendment;
• Displaying a concise description or list of changes, in addition to a further link to the full text of the amendment.

My preferred option is, of course, option 3. It strikes the balance between ballot length and requiring voters to do extra work, and if paired with the existing provisions enabling preexisting parties to submit statements, should be the best option to properly yet concisely inform those voters who don't really do much research beyond reading what's presented to them on the ballot. For these reasons, unless there's any strong objections, this is what the Chancery will implement in this and in future elections.

As such, I have already gone on to writing those concise explanations, trying to be as objective as possible, and I'm now submitting them for public review and feedback. I gladly welcome any and all, especially those from registered parties and the authors of the amendments, and plan to accommodate them as much as practical. The provisional descriptions are as follows:

RZ07	Vote to ratify 62RZ07, "Executive Power Reform Act and Amendment", providing for Prime Dictates (decrees with the force of law issued by the Seneschal and countersigned by the King) to expire after three months, unless the Ziu votes to affirm them before expiration, or unless they are ephemeral or are issued to provide for emergency spending.
RZ14	Vote to ratify 62RZ14, "Broosking Swing Mitigation Amendment (Reconsideration)", providing for the maximum number of seats that can be assigned to new citizens between general elections to be lowered from 7.5% to 4.5% of the seats apportioned between parties, rounded down to a whole number of seats. With the current 200 seat Cosă, this results in a maximum of 9 extra seats, rather than 15, to be available to new citizens. With the 20 seat Cosă that resulted from passage of 62RZ11, the "Pseudo-Real Cosă Act", and that will enter into effect (unless repealed) from the first general election after February 2027, this would result in no seats being available to new citizens, rather than 1.
RZ15	Vote to ratify 62RZ15, "Cunstavál Reform Amendment", repealing three provisions regarding Cunstaváis (the King's representatives in each province): Repeals the ability of Cunstaváis to serve as "military governors" in provinces without a constitution; Repeals a provision prohibiting the King or a Cunstavál to proclaim any provincial constitution, and provinces to pass any constitutional amendments, which conflict with provisions in the Organic Law or any other national law; Repeals a provision prohibiting the King or a Cunstavál to proclaim any provincial constitution that hasn't been approved in a referendum by a majority of all citizens, or failing that, by two-thirds of votes cast. The second provision was considered redundant with the existing Article IX Section 5, and the repeal of the third provision leaves provincial constitutions to self-regulate how they would be amended.
RZ26	Vote to ratify 62RZ26, "Democracy Act and Amendment", providing for the following: The lowering of the number of seats in the Cosă from 200 to 20, already established in statutory law by 62RZ11 - the "Pseudo-Real Cosă Act", is enshrined in the Organic Law. The change would only take effect from the first general election after February 2027, one year after the passage of 62RZ11. The seats won by each party, as well as any vacant seats occurring between elections, are (re)assigned to candidates automatically following the order they appear on the ballot, instead of the party leader freely apportioning seats won by the party between candidates. Seats that cannot be (re)assigned, typically due to each valid candidate already holding the maximum number of seats, would be (re)assigned by the King under His best judgement, or left vacant. The share of the Cosă's seats that can be held by a single member is raised from 2 seats to 3 in the future 20-seat Cosă, and from 20 seats to 31 in the current 200-seat Cosă (still valid for this election). The calculation assumes that the number of votes cast for valid political parties is the same as in the previous election (94); the formula means the individual limit is raised with fewer votes, and lowered with more votes. Any person placed on a party's list of candidates to the Cosă will have to confirm their willingness to stand for election, rather than this willingness being implicit, as is currently the case. A provision to allow the assignment of a limited number of extra seats in the Cosă to new citizens between general elections is repealed, if and only if the concurring amendment that provides for these seats to be reduced in number (C2 - Referendum on 62RZ14) fails. A provision to impeach and a remove a member of the Cosă by a two-third majority and approval by the King, which already exists, is clarified. Political parties's internal processes for nominating candidates for the Cosă will have to allow and reflect the democratic input of its members, with the latter being able to file suit if this is not the case.
RZ27	Vote to ratify 62RZ27, the "We Have a New-ish King Amendment", providing for the name of former King John to be replaced by that of King Txec in Organic Law Article II Section 3, where the name of the reigning King is mentioned.

Each of the descriptions is further followed by a link to the amendment (example).

Azul all, I am seeking public feedback regarding the text to put on the ballot for referenda.

In previous elections since at least 2014 (when the old Database with secret, electronic voting was introduced), the ballot has included the full text for every amendment submitted to the electorate. However, there's no Organic or statutory mandate for doing so, and I have a few objections to raise against continuing this practice.

• Amendments can get very long and verbose, especially where they contain long sections with the full extant text to be amended, rather than employing bolded text for additions and strikethrough for deletions (a technique that was already in use in 1998, soon after the Organic Law was adopted, and which I personally favour for the bills I write);
• Another way amendments get longer is when lots of connected provisions have to be amended to reflect the main change, even if those secondary provisions are entirely derivative and don't really add much to the substance of the amendment by themselves (e.g. the Democracy Act and Amendment's ironclad lists are described in Article IV, but then lots of other provisions, e.g. those determining what happens when a MC strikes out or is expelled, have to be adjusted to account for that change);
• Equally, there may be many amendments on the ballot; this election has 5, a number only matched by the 50th, 51st and 55th Cosă elections, and only surpassed by the (frankly ridiculous) 12 in the 48th Cosă election.

In addition, I am not aware of any nations requiring ballots to contain the full text of a constitutional amendment. I don't think anyone suggesting such a move would be taken very seriously; voters would hardly have time to read the amendment inside the voting booth, and states would hardly manage to squeeze the text into a probably oversized ballot. The expectation is usually that voters will do their own research beforehand, or that parties will campaign for one or the other outcome, which will also serve to inform voters.

We don't really have those macronational problems in the strictest sense, because almost everyone votes electronically, and even snail mail votes are cast from the comfort of one's house. I would still strongly argue that the time and size issues apply to us, though. The average voter is not going to read the full text of the amendment, but they may take the time to read an abridged description; a long and time consuming ballot is, to me, just a source of attrition. Talossan democracy is not well served by a ballot that takes so long to scroll through to lead to undervoting or blind Üc votes; not to mention provinces, which are unlucky enough to find themselves stuck to the bottom of the ballot, potentially underneath a wall of text for multiple referenda.

GROUP 5
4. Toto - Africa
3. Desireless - Voyage, Voyage
2. Derek & the Dominos - Layla
1. Teho Teardo and Blixa Bargeld - A Quiet Life

GROUP 6
4. Het Goede Doel - België (Is er leven op Pluto ...)
3. Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
2. Prozac+ - Acida
1. Ozzy Osbourne - Crazy Train

Quote from: Mximo Malt on August 04, 2026, 12:15:25 AMI will not run for re-election, and IDT is dissolved.

I'm sorry to hear you won't be taking part in the election. The IDT party forum will be archived in a week, at the end of the registration period.

Done.

Quote from: Mic'haglh Autófil, O.Be on August 01, 2026, 04:20:27 PMName: Union of Free Reformists (L'Uniun dels Reformistaes Livereschti; URL)

I forgot to ask, Mic'haglh: which of the two names do you want on the ballot as the primary one? I provisionally set the Talossan version as the primary/official one like in previous elections, but this is up to you. (Both versions will be on the ballot, either way)