His Imperial Majesty the Emperor has announced that a General and a Local Election will take place on 18 November later this year.
All subjects of the Empire will be permitted to vote for the new Prime Minister, and for their local Representatives. Although General and Local Elections do not have to coincide, they also did so on the last time they were held, 23 December 2011.
A General Election must take place at least every four years, and a Local Election must take place at least every two years. The Monarch has the power to call both kinds of election, but the Prime Minister has the power to call a General Election should they wish.
Lord Marshal William has been Acting Prime Minister since his predecessor ascended the Throne in January as Emperor Jonathan I. It is thought that the Lord Marshal will run in the General Election, although no formal applications for candidacy have yet been made. Only Representatives or Acting Representatives can run for Prime Minister, but must be approved by the Monarch to do so. The Monarch must approve at least two Representatives.
The following is a timeline of how events will play out:
- 30 September: From this date, any willing Representatives may apply to be approved as Candidates for the General Election by the Emperor.
- 21 October: The period in which Representatives can apply to become Candidates ends. The Emperor must have approved at least two Candidates by this date. The official campaigning period for the General Election begins.
- 28 October – 4 November: Any willing residential subject (or residents which fulfil the criteria of the Resident Representatives Act 2011) may publicly announce that they are standing for Representative of their Town. After this period, no new candidates for Representative may stand.
- 4 November – 18 November: The official campaigning period for the Local Election.
- 18 November: The General and Local Election. Every subject of the Empire may vote for one of the Candidates to become Prime Minister, and every residential subject may vote for one of those standing to be elected Representative of their Town. Votes are sent to the Monarch and the Secretary-General to be counted and verified.
- 19 November: The results are announced and the victors of the election take office.
