Elections in Urcea

Elections in Urcea are held for all national and provincial offices and most local offices. At the national level, the Procurator is directly elected by the Urcean people. All members of the Concilium Daoni are elected directly by people in each province, crownland, or state. Governors and local legislators of the provinces, states, and crownlands are also directly elected, as are the officials of municipalities using an executive polis model. There are also a number of special districts which hold elections on a local level. The modern system of Urcean elections can mostly trace its history back to the Concession of 1747.

Elections in Urcea are highly decentralized and are primarily administered by Diocesan Boards of Election, who set forth local rules, establish eligibility lists and voter rolls, physically own and maintain voting machines, count votes, and certify election winners. A number of national laws, codified under the Election Law, provide for the basic framework through which Urcean elections are to take place. Most Diocesan Boards of Election have also adopted the Unified Electoral Code, compiled and adopted in the 1980s, though most also include many jurisdiction-specific rules and regulations. The provinces are responsible for collating the electoral results reported by Dioceses for province-wide and Daoni elections. By law, nearly all elections in Urcea take place on Election Day, which is the first Tuesday in November in years ending in "0" and "5" and are conducted using a first past the post system.

Voting in Urcea is voluntary, though it is considered customary for Urceans to vote. Turnout usually sits between 60% and 70% for most elections. Throughout Urcean history, the electoral franchise, which began with elections for the Concilium Daoni was gradually expanded, largely coinciding with changes to the system of social class. Modern Urcean elections feature universal adult suffrage beginning at age 21; the age varied between provinces until 2003.

Ballot access and candidate selection

Primary elections

Procuratorial

Main article: Urcean procuratorial primary

The election for Procurator uses a different system of primary elections than most local offices. No party may have an endorsed party candidate for Procurator, requiring an open primary each election to select its candidate.

Censors

Candidates for Censor are not nominated by political parties and as such are not chosen by political primary.

Cultural practices

General elections in Urcea are usually accompanied by a five month long campaign cycle, beginning in June and ending in November. Electoral campaigns in Urcea include a broad array of public interactions, ranging from conventional get-out-the-vote efforts, commercials, door knocking, phone calls, and speeches. However, campaigns also have a broad array of social obligations and and traditions that the public expects to be met. It is customary for candidates to throw at least large parties with free food and alcohol throughout the campaign, once during their announcement and again in October. Additionally, Election Day is usually accompanied by a large street festival thrown by local political parties, where party supporters and campaign enthusiasts will receive free alcohol, food, and in some case board throughout Election Day and into the night of the election. Only the worst-funded candidates and parties, coinciding with the least competitive seats, can typically not afford to throw Election Day festivals. Many Urceans, especially independents, will often move between the rival street fairs on Election Day to take in the atmosphere and free amenities. Occasionally, Election Day festivals will descend into party-based hooliganism and civil unrest, and beginning in the 20th century the festivals became more closely cordoned off by law enforcement.