Elections in Balakia

Elections in Balakia are held to select members of the Common Council, members of municipal councils, and the President. Balak citizens can also vote in mandatory or consultary referendums.

The 1,345 members in the Common Council are elected to a term of five Sayanic years in a multitude of proportional voting systems as determined by the states, while the President of Balakia is elected for a term of four Sayanic years in a two-round system.

Elections to the Common Council

Process and eligibility

The Common Council has a total of 1,345 members, known as Councillors, elected to a fixed term of five Sayanic years. Balakia exhibits a fragmented multi-party system, with a number of small parties in which coalition governments are common. Elections to the Common Council take place on in the month of Sohâma in the Sayanic calendar; the Common Council may not be dissolved early, and as such this electoral cycle is entirely regular. Under Terminian federalism, independent state legislatures are substituted with compartments of the Common Council, with Councillors legislating on both the national level and the state level. Thus, federal elections additionally serve as, and are indistinguishable from, state elections.

Electoral systems

Voting systems used by each state

Each Balak state has a given number of seats in the Common Council allocated to them, based on population. Under Balak electoral law, the states are free to distribute their allocated number of seats through whatever democratic means they choose, and are given the freedom to adopt their own systems of voting and draw their own electoral districts. The majority of the states use mixed-member proportional representation (MMPR), a selection use single transferable vote (STV), and two states use party-list proportional representation exclusively. In all states that use proportional representation (both party-list and mixed-member), a party must attain at least 5% of the statewide popular vote in order to qualify for a seat, and a two-round voting system is used to elect Councillors representing counties. Out of the Common Council's 1,345 seats, 783 are allocated through MMPR, 394 are allocated through STV, and 168 are allocated through party-list proportional representation. No state uses plurality voting, as in most states a regular redrawing of electoral boundaries is equivalent to a redrawing of administrative boundaries, which would incur high costs and confusion among citizens.

Current distribution of seats

State	Population	Common Council seats	Voting system
Ayalshemir	401,477	8	Party-list PR
Balachik	9,194,768	184	MMPR
Boghshuy	5,019,476	100	MMPR
Chindensven	4,139,560	83	STV
Chindush	3,108,642	62	MMPR
Covaya	1,812,045	36	STV
Hamavan	7,987,194	160	Party-list PR
Kazan	2,569,139	51	MMPR
Kojara	4,139,560	54	STV
Lower Maram	5,108,567	102	MMPR
Manatak Autonomous Territory	2,757,613	55	STV
Mechin	1,035,875	21	STV
Qersheven	7,248,604	145	STV
Tarashik	6,294,764	126	MMPR
Upper Maram	7,895,727	158	MMPR
Total	67,258,126	1,345

Ayalshemir

Ayalshemir uses party-list proportional representation to fill its 8 seats. The state consists of a single electoral district, with seats allocated to parties using the D'Hondt method.

Balachik

Under MMPR, 109 of Balachik's 184 seats are elected in single-seat constituencies in a majority vote. The remaining 74 seats are assigned based on proportional representation using the D'Hondt method.

Boghshuy

Operating under MMPR, 64 of Boghshuy's 100 seats are elected in single-seat constituencies in a majority vote. The remaining 36 seats are assigned based on proportional representation using the D'Hondt method.

Chindensven

Chindensven uses STV to allocate its 83 seats, which are distributed between the city's 11 boroughs.

Chindush

Under MMPR, 49 of the 62 seats allocated to Chindush are elected in single-seat constituencies in a majority vote. The remaining 13 seats are assigned based on proportional representation using the D'Hondt method.

Covaya

Covaya uses STV to fill its 36 seats. The state is divided into 6 electoral districts based on administrative boundaries, which are allocated a number of seats based on population.

Hamavan

Hamavan is divided into 14 electoral districts based on administrative boundaries, which are allocated portions of the state's allocated 160 seats. Each electoral district proportionally assigns seats using the D'Hondt method.

Kazan

Operating under MMPR, 35 of Kazan's 51 seats are elected in single-seat constituencies in a majority vote. The remaining 16 seats are assigned based on proportional representation using the D'Hondt method.

Kojara

Kojara uses STV to fill its 54 seats, which are distributed across 8 electoral districts based on the city's wards.

Lower Maram

Under MMPR, 70 of Lower Maram's 102 seats are elected in single-seat constituencies in a majority vote. The remaining 32 seats are assigned based on proportional representation using the D'Hondt method.

Manatak Autonomous Territory

The Manatak Autonomous Territory is divided into 9 electoral districts based on administrative boundaries, among which the state's 55 seats are distributed. The seats are filled through STV.

Mechin

Mechin uses STV to fill its 21 seats, which are distributed across 4 electoral districts based on administrative divisions.

Qersheven

Qersheven uses STV to allocate its 145 seats, which are distributed between the city's 24 boroughs.

Tarashik

Under MMPR, 84 of Tarashik's 126 seats are elected in single-seat constituencies in a majority vote. The remaining 42 seats are assigned based on proportional representation using the D'Hondt method.

Upper Maram

Operating under MMPR, 100 of Upper Maram's 158 seats are elected in single-seat constituencies in a majority vote. The remaining 58 seats are assigned based on proportional representation using the D'Hondt method.

Voting process

Candidates

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The deadline for candidate registration for any type of election typically lies is one month before the election is scheduled to commence; in the case of regularly scheduled elections the last day for submissions is Idjeujuin 29th, the final day of that month.

Voting location and timing

The standard Balak electoral calendar is based on the Sayanic calendar, used in Balakia alongside the Iovist calendar, and has been adopted for both legislative and presidential elections. With the exception of by-elections, the calendar for regular elections in Balakia is as follows:

• Sohâma 1st-5th: Polls are open for any eligible Balak citizen to cast their vote in the first round of all elections taking place that year. Ballots are counted as they come in. Party-list votes are conducted for Common Council elections at this time.
• Sohâma 6th-15th: Ballots for the first round continue to be counted, including postal votes.
• Sohâma 16th-20th: Campaigning for the second round of voting commences if there is one.
• Sohâma 21st-25th: If there is a second round of voting, it takes place at this time.
• Sohâma 26th - A-Huyil 5th: Ballots for the second round continue to be counted if necessary, including postal votes.
• A-Huyil 15th: Any ongoing disputes notwithstanding, election results are officially confirmed and fixed in place.
• A-Huyil 30th: Day of the Old Year; politicians give speeches reflecting on their previous term in office.
• Juin 1st: Sayanic New Year; the new President is sworn in.

Polls are open from [time] until [time] in one of several locations designated by the electoral committee of the polling district. With few exceptions, the voter must vote in the polling district where they are registered.

At the entrance to the polling station, voters present their passports or other identity documents to an electoral committee member of the polling district. It is noted in the electoral roll that a voter has arrived to vote, and the voter is handed an arrival card that allows to apply for a ballot. Voting takes place in voting booths, in secret, with the votes submitted to the ballot boxes.

Postal voting is open to any Balak citizen upon request, including those living abroad, and is possible during the final five days of the month of Nâdjaṣis.