As you all know, polls for the 12th Representative Assembly open at noon on this coming Saturday, January 23 and close noon January 30. To help everyone make informed decisions, CDS will sponsor a few events:
1. Friday January 15, 2pmInformal Meet The Candidates party. We hope representatives from each faction, and as many of those who have indicated that they are running for office, can come. Factions generally will also have their own sessions through the week of the election. We encourage you to take advantage of as many of these opportunities as you can. We will hold this event in the Fortress Garden in Al Andalus. (Another nice venue most people haven't seen!)
2. Saturday, January 16, 12 noon SLT. Formal Debates. Each faction should designate one representative to participate in the debates. The debates will be held in the Colonia Nova Amphitheater, and will be moderated by Delia Lake. The debates are conducted by citizens submitting questions in notecard format, and delivering them to the moderator, preferrably before, or at the Debate event. Each candidate will be given a chance to make a brief opening statement, a chance to respond to each question, and at the end, an opportunity to give final remarks. We will stick to a strict time limit so that everyone gets an equal amount of time to respond. Generally the debates last between 90 minutes and an hour. The moderator will have discretion on ending debate, based on the quality and number of questions submitted. Debates will be transcripted and posted in the forums immediately afterwards so that all citizens have as much information available to them as possible.
Voting machines will be set up in the main plazas of each full sim. If you will be away from sl for the week of voting, you can vote by absentee ballot. Let Jamie or Rose or anyone on the Scientific Council know of your needs as soon as possible.
3. After voting closes,we traditionally await results in the Thermae in Colonia Nova. Hopefully the members of the SC will coordinate their schedules to be available for certifying the vote as soon as possible after the polls close. Watch for in world announcements regarding this gathering.
4. When the new RA is seated and Chancellor elections are complete, there will be a formal Inaugural Ball to thank both our outgoing and incoming volunteers. This will be in early February, as the term starts February 1.
Above all, please exercise your rights as citizens of the Confederation of Democratic Sims and VOTE!
Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half of the time.
E. B. White
