An Act respecting the electoral process of Aquria-Catopolis.

(23rd August 2026)

PART I — PRELIMINARY

Article 1. This Act may be cited as the Elections Act.

Article 2. Unless otherwise expressed or implied, in this Act,

(a) "election" refers to the election of Prime Minister, Members of Parliament, Premiers and Members of a Legislative Assembly or Aqurian Parliament.

PART II — SYSTEM OF VOTE

Article 1. The system of vote in Aquria-Catopolis is Normalised Score Voting, that is,

(1) Each elector votes by assigning each candidate a score of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 voting points, or by exclusively selecting an option meaning none of the candidates, by whatever name it is called.

(2) If an elector chooses to give a total of 0 voting points, their vote is considered the same as selecting the option meaning none of the candidates.

(3) For each elector individually,

(a) The sum of the voting points cast is divided by 100, producing the normalisation divisor, and

(b) Each of the original scores assigned is divided by the normalisation divisor, creating the normalised scores.

(4) The normalised scores are summed for each candidate.

(5) The candidate with the highest total normalised score is the victor.

PART III — ELECTION OFFICERS

Article 1. The Ministry of Elections and Statistics is to appoint Head Election Officers to each election of Members of Parliament. Head Election Officers are to carry out various duties defined in this Act, as well as to appoint various Election Officers for assistance in other tasks in this Act not specifically requiring a Head Election Officer.

PART IV — POLLING STATIONS AND VOTING

Division 1. Polling stations

Article 1. During an election, in each electoral district, provincial electoral district or Aqurian electoral district, as the case may be—or, if the election is for the Prime Minister, one in each province and semi-autonomous region in which an elector resides—a number of polling stations are opened, in which votes are cast. The location of the polling station(s) must be such that every elector lives within five kilometres of a polling station.

In the case of the non-resident electoral district, there is to be one polling station in Catstontinople and, only if needed, digital voting is permitted.

The duration of an election is defined as from the date set for the election to five days after that date; or until all the electors except those voting by mail-in ballot for that election have voted, whichever comes first.

Every elector is assigned a polling station, and may only vote at that polling station.

Article 2. Every polling station must be in premises that are accessible to all electors with a disability.

Article 3. Within each polling station are a number of voting areas which must

(a) Be fully out of view of cameras or any observer other than the elector casting their vote;

(b) Be such that the elector casting their vote may do so without interruption;

(c) Have a smooth hard surface such as a table for the ease of marking the ballot; and

(d) Have present a suitable pencil for the purpose of writing on the ballot.

Division 2. Ballots

Article 4. Each elector votes on separate paper ballots which, subject to Part IV Article 8, must

(a) Be in both English and French, and, in the case of Aquria, in English, French, Spanish and Aqurian;

(b) Include clear instructions on how to vote;

(c) Include a table with rows and columns representing the scores and the candidates such that each elector need only mark a box for each score cast;

(d) Include the names of every candidate and their affiliation, if any;

(e) Include a box indicating that the elector wishes to vote for none of the candidates;

(f) Include the name of the ballot's electoral district, provincial electoral district or Aqurian electoral district, as the case may be, as well as the polling station and the date set for the election;

(g) Include a ballot number; and

(h) Not include any identifying marker which could be used for the purpose of identifying which elector cast which ballot.

Article 5. In cases where an elector is travelling, is immobile or otherwise unable to travel to a polling station to vote for the duration of an election, they may apply for a mail-in ballot kit. A mail-in ballot kit includes a mail-in ballot, a sealable envelope and instructions on how to vote using the mail-in ballot, including how to seal the envelope.

Article 6. Mail-in ballots are to look identical to regular ballots, except they are to bear a mail-in ballot number rather than a normal ballot number. Furthermore, for the purpose of verifying that the person who sent in the mail-in ballot is permitted to do so, each mail-in ballot’s instructions must include a code which the elector must write on the mail-in ballot. These codes are given randomly to the eligible electors.

Article 7. Starting at 10 days before the date set for the election, electors voting in that election with mail-in ballots may send by mail their mail-in ballots to the relevant election authority, which is to be included, with its mailing address, in the instructions.

The mail-in ballot must be sent in the sealable envelope provided in the mail-in ballot kit. If the mail-in ballot is sent in some other envelope or, when the sealable envelope arrives, it is unsealed or the seal is broken, the mail-in ballot is considered spoilt and is to be discarded.

If an elector has registered to vote by mail-in ballot, the mail-in ballot is considered valid if it arrives within a 20-day period from the date set for the election.

Article 8. Notwithstanding Part IV Article 4 and Part VIII, in the case of the election of the Prime Minister, the ballots are to include a marker identifying which elector's ballot it is; and after such an election, it is published in the Aquria-Catopolis Gazette in what way each elector voted.

If, when the ballots are counted for such an election, a ballot does not include the identifying marker above specified, the ballot is considered spolit and discarded.

Division 3. Ballot boxes

Article 9. When an elector has finished marking their ballot, they are to place it in a ballot box, which must

(a) Not contain a device that could read the information on a ballot, alter election results or ballots or be used for other nefarious purposes;

(b) Not contain a compartment into which a ballot may secretly be placed; and

(c) Be completely empty except for ballots.

Prior to the first ballot being placed in the ballot box, any elector may inspect the ballot box, including by looking inside it, under the supervision of an electoral officer of the polling station.

PART V — NOMINATION OF CANDIDATES

Article 1. Any eligible person who wishes to run for the position of Prime Minister, Member of Parliament, Premier or Member of a Legislative Assembly or Aqurian Parliament may meet the Head Election Officer for the election they wish to run in, no less than 11 days prior to the election.

They must have present a completed application form with the following:

(a) Their preferred given names and surname;

(b) Their affiliation, if any, in both English and French, or in Aquria, in English, French, Spanish and Aqurian;

(c) Their mailing address, email address, phone number or other suitable means of contact;

(d) Which election they wish to run in and for what position; and

(e) A written declaration stating the following: "I, [name], declare that I meet the qualifications as outlined in the Constitution of Aquria-Catopolis to be [position], those being that I must [qualifications]."

They must also have present a valid identification and have proof of their qualification.

Article 2. If two or more candidates have the same given names and surname; and either an affiliation of the same name or no affiliation, each candidate is notified and the relevant Head Election Officer and those candidates must meet to resolve either the sameness of their given names and surnames or the sameness of their affiliations.

If two or more different affiliations have the same name, each of the affiliations are notified and the relevant Head Election Officer and those affiliations must resolve the sameness of the affiliation names; and if one or more of such affiliations pertain to more than one constituency, the affiliations must resolve the sameness of their names with the Minister of Elections and Statistics instead.

Article 3. When the relevant Head Election Officer is satisfied that the candidate meets the qualifications for the position they wish to run for, and that the means of contact provided, if not one of those listed in Article 1 (c), is suitable, that candidate is nominated, and their name must appear on all ballots for that election.

Article 4. It is unlawful to provide or offer to provide monetary or other compensation to a Head Election Officer or other election official—and it is unlawful for a Head Election Officer or such other election official to solicit or to accept such compensation—for political objectives.

PART VI — ELECTIONS

Article 1. 30 days before an election, it is published in the Aquria-Catopolis Gazette 

(a) The electoral district, provincial electoral district or Aqurian electoral district in which the election is to take place, or that the election is for the Prime Minister; and

(b) The date set for the election to take place.

Article 2. 10 days before an election, it is published in the Aquria-Catopolis Gazette 

(a) The electoral district, provincial electoral district or Aqurian electoral district in which the election is to take place, or that the election is for the Prime Minister;

(b) The list of registered candidates for that election, which, for publication online, may include as little as the candidate's affiliation; and

(c) The date set for the election to take place.

Article 3. If, 10 days before the date fixed for an election, there is only one registered candidate, that candidate is declared victor of the election and the processes in Part IV are not carried out; and it is published in the Aquria-Catopolis Gazette—either 10 days before the date set for that election or on the date set for the election—that that candidate has been declared victor of the election pursuant to this Part VI Article 3.

Article 4. If, 10 days before an election, there are no registered candidates, the election is delayed for 30 days and it is published in the Aquria-Catopolis Gazette that the election has been delayed for 30 days pursuant to this Part VI Article 4, as well as the new date set for the election.

Article 5. 21 days after the date set for an election, the ballots are counted. 2 days are allowed for the counting of the ballots, and 3 days after the start of the counting of the ballots, the results of the election are published in the Aquria-Catopolis Gazette. The ballots may not be removed from the ballot box until the time to count the ballots.

PART VII — LISTS OF ELECTORS

Article 1. For each electoral district, there is to be a list of electors, which includes, subject to Part VII Article 3, the given names and surname of every elector who lives in that electoral district, their citizenship numbers, as well as their mailing addresses, email addresses, phone numbers or other suitable means of contact.

For every polling station, when they are established, there is to be a list of electors, which includes, subject to Part VII Article 3 the given names and surname of every elector who is to vote at that polling station, their citizenship number, as well as their mailing address, email address, phone number or other suitable means of contact. Before every relevant election, all electors are to be notified, with the means of contact in the list, about which polling station they are to vote at.

If an elector has registered to vote by mail-in ballot, this is marked on the list of electors for their electoral district for the period until the relevant election duration is over and that elector is not permitted to vote in person at a polling station for the relevant election.

Article 2. The suitability of any other means of contact is to be determined by the Minister of Elections and Statistics. There is to be published in the Aquria-Catopolis Gazette a list of all means of communication deemed suitable. If a requested change to the list of electors to the means of contact includes a means of communication not on the aforementioned list, the change must be approved by the Minister of Elections and Statistics.

Article 3. Any elector may request that their information in any list of electors, including the provincial or Aqurian lists, be not included, deleted, updated or added.

Such requests to lists for polling stations within a constituency are to be taken as requests to the list for that constituency, and vice versa. For example, if such a request is made for an electoral district's list of electors, the same change is made to the relevant polling station's list of electors, and vice versa.

To make such a request, the elector must provide valid proof of identity.

In the case of removal or of non-inclusion, they are not able to vote in the relevant constituency.

In the case of an update, they must provide proof of the truth of the update.

Article 4. No elector may appear on more than one list of electors for the same-level constutiency. Aqurian electoral districts and provincial electoral districts are considered same-level constituencies.

For example, no elector may appear in two different lists of electors for two different electoral districts.

Article 5. When an elector goes to vote at their polling station, after providing valid proof of identity and being permitted to vote, the information is added to the list of electors for that polling station that they voted in that election. Notwithstanding Part VII Article 3, this information will be kept on the polling station's list of electors until the end of the relevant election duration.

Article 6. Only the Minister of Elections and Statistics, Head Election Officers and Election Officers authorised by their Head Election Officer may view the lists of electors. Head Election Officers may only view the lists of electors relevant to the constituency they are appointed to, and may approve the viewing of those lists only.

The secrecy and privacy of the information on the lists of electors are protected; and it is unlawful to infringe on this secrecy and privacy.

PART VIII — PROHIBITIONS

Article 1. It is unlawful to

(a) Forge a ballot.

(b) Bring into Aquria-Catopolis or have in Aquria-Catopolis a forged ballot.

(c) Send in a forged or otherwise non-authorised mail-in ballot.

(d) Take someone's mail-in ballot.

(e) Discard someone's mail-in ballot, hide or keep it from the authorised elector, or send that mail-in ballot to the relevant election authority, pretending to be the authorised elector or otherwise.

(f) Using a camera device or otherwise, observe an elector while they are casting their ballot.

(g) Interrupt an elector while they are casting their ballot, including by broadcasts, megaphone usage or otherwise—a polling station must be quiet.

(h) Mark or alter any ballot before it is given to an elector to cast such that it

(i) Is not in both English and French, and, in the case of Aquria, in English, French, Spanish and Aqurian,

(ii) Does not include clear instructions on how to vote,

(iii) Does not include a table with rows and columns representing the candidates and scores such that each elector need only mark a box for each score cast,

(iv) Does not include the names of every candidate and their affiliation, if any,

(v) Does not include a box indicating that the elector wishes to vote for none of the above,

(vi) Does not include the name of the ballot's electoral district, provincial electoral district or Aqurian electoral district, as well as the polling station,

(vii) Not include a ballot number, and

(viii) Includes an identifying marker which could be used for the purpose of identifying which elector cast which ballot.

(i) Place inside a ballot box

(i) Anything other than a ballot,

(ii) A forged ballot.

(j) Alter a ballot box such that it contains a compartment in which a ballot may be secretly placed or exchange a ballot box with another box that contains a compartment in which a ballot may be secretly placed.

(k) Remove from a ballot box any ballot before the appointed time for counting the results.

(l) Using a camera or other device, record one's ballot.

(m) Prevent someone from voting, including by requiring them at their occupation for the entirety of the voting period or by threats of violence or other deterioration of their life, such as being dismissed from their job.

(n) Disclose information on any list of electors to non-authorised personnel.

(o) Change, delete information from, update or otherwise alter any list of electors when such action is not permitted.

(p) Record information from any list of electors in a way not under the control, supervision and consent of the Ministry of Elections and Statistics.