LEX VEDIA DE RATIONE COMITIORUM CENTURIATORUM
- The Lex Vedia de Ratione Eligium and Lex Vedia de Ratione Centuriatorum
Comitiorum are hereby rescinded as they apply to the election of magistrates
and the voting of leges by the Comitia Centuriata. This Lex Vedia de Ratione
Comitiorum Centuriatorum is hereby enacted to define the procedures by which
the Comitia Centuriata shall conduct the business of electing magistrates
and voting on leges.
- Calling the Comitia to Order.
Either a Consul or Praetor may, as described in the Constitution, call the
Comitia to order, to hold a vote on a lex or leges, or to hold an election.
The magistrate who calls the Comitia to order shall be referred to herein as
the presiding magistrate.
- This shall be done by making a public announcement announcing the call
in those public fora which shall have been designated for such purpose, in
which must be included:
The names of candidates for office and the office for which they are
running (when the Comitia is being called for an election);
- The full text of any leges which are being voted on (when the Comitia
is being called to legislate);
- 3. The dates when the members of the Comitia shall begin and finish
voting;
- 4. Any special instructions that pertain to the mechanics of the vote,
if any.
- The presiding magistrate shall have the responsibility for taking all
reasonable precautions to ensure that candidates for a vote hold whatever
qualifications are required by law. The Censors shall assist in such efforts
as to the best of their ability.
- Timing of the vote.
- The edictum containing the call to vote must be issued at least 192
hours (8 days) prior to the start of the vote. This period shall be known as
the Contio, and shall be used for formal discussion of the issues and/or
candidates before the People for vote.
- During the Contio, the following conditions shall apply:
- Those Constitutionally empowered to do so may exercise their powers
of intercessio or obnuntiatio.
- The exercise of intercessio shall cancel the vote or election
outright, although another call with the same items may be made at a later
date.
- The exercise of obnuntiatio shall extend the Contio, postponing the
start and end dates of the voting period by 24 hours, during which time
obnuntiatio may again be exercised.
- Should the exercise of nuntatio cause the voting period to move
such that it conflicts with calendarical restrictions as defined by the
Collegium Pontificum, the presiding magistrate may change or extend the
dates of the vote and/or contio at his discretion.
- A member of the Collegium Augurum shall be invited by the presiding
magistrate to seek favorable auspices for the conduct of the vote, subject
to those rules and regulations the Collegium Augurum shall set forth by
decreta. Should the presiding magistrate himself be a member of the
Collegium Augurum, he may take the auspices for the vote himself.
- The period between the start and end of the voting must last no less
than 192 hours (8 days).
- The ability to vote during the voting period may be impacted and/or
suspended due to calendrical issues as enacted by decreta of the Collegium
Pontificum.
- The rogatores shall tally the vote and shall deliver the results to the
presiding magistrate within 48 hours of the close of the voting period.
- The presiding magistrate shall announce the results of the vote within
24 hours of receiving the results from the rogatores, in at least the same
venues as the original announcement calling the vote was published.
- Voting procedures.
- The censors shall issue to each citizen a unique voter identification
code. This code shall be used to maintain anonymity in the voting process,
and to minimize the possibility of vote fraud. In a timely fashion prior to
the a vote, the censors shall make available to the rogatores a list of
valid voter identification codes and the centuries with which they are
associated. The rogatores shall not have access to the names of the citizens
associated with particular voter identification codes.
- In consultation with the rogatores, the curator araneum shall make
available a cista; a secure web-based form to allow citizens to vote
directly through the official Nova Roma web site. This form shall record the
voter identification number and desired vote(s) of the individual. The
information thus collected will either be forwarded to the rogatores as it
is gathered, or at the end of the process, at their discretion. Alternative
methods of voting may be enacted by other legislation as required.
- Each Citizen shall have the opportunity to vote for a single candidate
for each office for which a vacancy exists, regardless of the number of
vacancies within a given magistracy. Citizens may cast a vote for a
candidate not listed on the ballot, or may waive their right to cast a vote
for a given magistracy. Once cast, no vote may be altered, even with the
correct voter identification code. Should multiple votes be registered with
the same voter identification code, only the first one recorded shall be
used when tallying the vote.
- Procedures for counting votes.
- Votes shall be counted by centuries.
- In the case of a magisterial election, each century shall cast a
number of votes equal to the number of vacancies for the magistracy in
question. Votes shall be assigned to those candidates who received votes by
members of the century, with those candidates receiving the most valid
individual votes receiving the century's vote first, then working down in
descending order until all the century's votes have been assigned.
EXAMPLE: Four candidates are running for Consul. Each century casts two
votes, because there are two vacant positions. In century III, there are 26
votes for candidate A, 32 votes for candidate B, 2 votes for candidate C,
and 13 votes for candidate D. The century's two votes are cast for
candidates A and B, since they received the two highest vote-totals within
the century.
- In the case of a vote on a lex, each century shall vote in favor of
the lex if a majority of the votes received by members of the century are in
favor. Otherwise, the century shall be considered to have voted against the
proposed lex.
- Should a tie occur within a given century, the winner shall be the
candidate who is a paterfamilias or materfamilias, or if such shall not
decide the issue, the winner shall be decided by lot. The rogatores may
decide how such decisions by lot shall be made in a fair manner.
- A vote or election shall be decided by a majority of the centuries.
- In the case of a magisterial election, candidates must receive votes
from at least 97 of the 193 centuries in order to win.
- Should not enough candidates receive votes from at least 97 of the
193 centuries to fill all vacancies, a new election shall be called within
30 days from the end of the current election.
- Should more candidates receive votes from at least 97 of the 193
centuries than there are vacancies, the winner shall be the candidate who is
a paterfamilias or materfamilias, or if such shall not decide the issue, the
winner shall be decided by lot. The rogatores may decide how such decisions
by lot shall be made in a fair manner.
- In the case of a vote on a lex, 97 of the 193 centuries must vote in
favor for the lex to be adopted.
- Votes may be tallied by automated means should the rogatores determine
such is preferable to, and at least as accurate as, a manual count.
-
Only the aggregate votes of the centuries shall be delivered to the
presiding magistrate; the votes of individual citizens shall be secret.
Passed by Comitia Centuriata, Yes-74; No-4; Abstain-4, Tie-2
27 August MMDCCLIV
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