The Northeast State

Of The Junior State of America

Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York,

Rhode Island, Vermont

Official Northeast
State Constitution
Including the Legislation of the Joint Council of Chapter Presidents and All
Constitutional Amendments Passed Thereafter

This version assembled in December 2010 by Governor Lia Cromwell

with the assistance of 2009-2010 Lt. Governor Justin Fletcher
 Official Northeast Junior State Constitution & Code of Law

Officers of the State

2010-2011
Lia Cromwell, Governor
Joseph Campagna, Lieutenant Governor

2009-2010
Daniel Hoffmann, Governor
Justin Fletcher, Lieutenant Governor

2008-2009
Alexander Speiser, Governor
Jessye Kass, Lieutenant Governor

2007-2008
Soojin Kim, Governor
Jason Katz, Lieutenant Governor

2006-2007
Jordan Levine, Governor
M-W Floyd, Lieutenant Governor

2005-2006
Nora Lawrence, Governor
Jordan Levine, Lieutenant Governor
Talya Housman, President Pro-Tempore

2004-2005
Peter Betz, Governor
James Betz, Lieutenant Governor
Kavita Patel, President Pro-Tempore

2003-2004
Matthew Woodward, Governor
Elizabeth Gates, Lieutenant Governor
Jenny Matydtik, President Pro-Tempore

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 Official Northeast Junior State Constitution & Code of Law

Northeast State Constitution

Last revised by the Joint Council of Chapter Presidents assembled in 2010.

Preamble
We, as students determined to achieve a better understanding of the governmental process, to increase
our awareness of contemporary issues, to promote students’ involvement in politics, to encourage good
leadership qualities and responsibility in high school students, and to serve as representatives for the
concerns of those students, do hereby establish this Constitution of the Northeastern State.

Article I: Names and Boundaries

Section 1. The name of the State shall be the Northeastern State. It may be referred to as the NES.

Section 2. The Northeastern State shall consist of New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode
Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine.

Section 3. The Northeastern State shall be divided into two regions.

a) The Empire Constitution Region will consist of New York and Connecticut. This region may
be referred to as the ECR.

b) The New England Region will consist of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire,
Vermont, and Maine. This region may be referred to as the NER.

Article II: Membership

Section 1. A member shall be defined as any high school student who belongs to an official JSA chapter
within the Northeastern State and has paid the annual membership “tax” as established by the Council
of Governors.

Section 2. All members of the Junior State shall enjoy equal protection under the law and shall not be
denied any rights or privileges entitled to them by law without proper action according to the law so
established within this Constitution. The NES shall not discriminate on account of race, creed, color,
sex, nationality, handicap, or sexual orientation.

Article III: The Chapter

Section 1. A chapter shall be defined as a minimum of eight members who have the appropriate
approval by their respective high school administration.

Section 2. No chapter shall deny its members a republican form of government.

a) Each chapter must elect a single Chapter President who must serve as the leader of his or her
respective chapter.

b) The state shall not legislate other chapter positions. Chapters shall have the option of
creating positions below Chapter Presidents as they see fit.

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Section 3. A chapter shall be chartered upon the Governor’s receipt and approval of the chapter’s
constitution.

Section 4. Each chapter shall have a regular school-approved advisor responsible for overseeing the
activities and accompanying the chapter to conventions. Alternate school-approved advisors may
accompany a chapter to conventions if the regular school-approved advisor is unable to.

Article IV: The Region

Section 1. No person or chapter may belong to more than one region. The members of a region are to
be the only voters in the regional elections.

Section 2. No region shall deny its members a republican form of government.

Article V: The State Executive Branch

Section 1. The elected officers of the executive branch of the NES shall be the Governor and the
Lieutenant Governor as voted upon by the majority of the members of the NES. The Governor and
Lieutenant Governor must be members of the NES.

Section 2. The term of office for the officers shall be the June 1st following their elections to the
subsequent May 31st.

Section 3. The Governor shall be the chief executive power of the Northeastern State.

a) The Governor shall have the power to authorize chapters by approving their constitutions. If
a constitution is not approved, the Governor shall return it to the chapter with
recommendations for its re-submission.

b) With the approval of the Joint Council of Chapter Presidents, the Governor shall have the
authority to create any departments essential for the functioning of the NES and give them the
necessary power and authority. The Governor may appoint NES members to cabinet positions
to fulfill the requirements of these departments, but must notify the Joint Council of Chapter
Presidents of these appointments every September 1st. The governor must also notify the Joint
Council of Chapter Presidents of the appointments to new departments within thirty (30) days
of their creation.

c) The Governor shall have the authority to dissolve any departments that he/she deems
unnecessary to the functioning of the NES. The Governor shall also have the power to dismiss
any cabinet member. After dissolving a department or dismissing a cabinet member, the
governor must notify the Joint Council of Chapter Presidents of his/her actions within 30 days
of taking them.

d) The Governor shall be responsible for all programs of the NES.

e) Should any cabinet office become vacant, the Governor shall appoint a replacement to serve.
The Governor must notify the Joint Council of Chapter Presidents immediately of the change.

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f) Any cabinet member may be impeached with a 2/3 vote of the Joint Council of Chapter
Presidents after being given at least 5 minutes to address the body concerning the impeachment.
Upon impeachment, the cabinet member is immediately removed from office. The legislature, as
part of its decision, shall decide upon whether the official will be allowed to serve in any other
capacities.

g) The Governor shall report the state of the NES to the Joint Council of Chapter Presidents at
every state convention.

h) The Governor shall have the authority to sign bills passed by the legislature into law.

i) The Governor shall also have the authority to veto any bill passed by the legislature. A veto by
the Governor may be overridden by a vote of 2/3 in the Joint Council of Chapter Presidents.

j) Should the Governor fail to sign or veto a bill within 30 days of its passage, the bill becomes
law.

k) The Governor may be impeached by a ¾ vote by the Joint Council of Chapter Presidents
after being given at least five minutes to address the body concerning the impeachment. Upon
impeachment, the Governor shall be removed from office.

Section 4. The Lieutenant Governor shall be the second ranking official of the NES.

a) The Lieutenant Governor shall act as Governor should the Governor be absent or should
(s)he be incapable of exercising his/her duties for any reason.

b) The Lieutenant Governor shall preside over and call into session the Joint Council of Chapter
Presidents.

c) The Lieutenant Governor may be directed by the Governor to perform any duties necessary
for the functioning of the NES. The Joint Council of Chapter Presidents shall have the final
authority over the duties and powers of the Lieutenant Governor.

d) The Lieutenant Governor shall conduct all NES state elections as prescribed by law unless
(s)he shall be a candidate or cannot otherwise conduct them, in which case the President Pro
Tempore shall conduct them. If neither official can conduct them, the Governor shall appoint
someone with the confirmation of the Joint Council of Chapter Presidents.

e) The Lieutenant Governor may be impeached by a ¾ vote by the Joint Council of Chapter
Presidents after being given at least five minutes to address the body concerning the
impeachment. Upon impeachment, the Lieutenant Governor shall be removed from office.

Article VI: The Legislative Branch

Section 1. The NES legislature shall consist of a single body: the Joint Council of Chapter Presidents.

a) The Joint Council of Chapter Presidents shall consist of one democratically elected Chapter
President from each chapter in the state or his/her designee. The Chapter President cannot be a
member of the judicial branch or elected official.

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b) The Joint Council of Chapter Presidents shall have the authority to pass legislation (by a
majority) concerning the following:

i. Election procedures of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Mayors, and Vice-

Mayors. The only voters in these elections can be members of the NES present at the
convention where the elections occur. They may legislate matters including, but not
limited to, campaign rules, punishments, voting methods, and spending limits.

ii. Lobbying platforms including, but not limited to, the selection of platforms, the
duration of a permit to lobby, and the methods of lobbying. The platforms must at all
times reflect the nonpartisan stance of the organization and are subject to judicial review.

c) Should the Joint Council of Chapter Presidents pass any legislation by a majority, it shall be
given to the Governor for approval.

d) The Joint Council of Chapter Presidents may override a veto by a vote of 2/3.

e) The Joint Council of Chapter Presidents shall also have the authority to pass (by a majority)
acts concerning the following:

i. The creation of new departments in state cabinet proposed by the Governor.

ii. The confirmation of justices appointed by the Governor

iii. The creation of positions proposed by the Lt. Governor for his/her cabinet

iv. The confirmation of the appointment of the President Pro Tempore

v. The organization of the NES Code of Laws

f) The Joint Council of Chapter Presidents shall also have the authority to pass resolutions
concerning topics including, but not limited to, expansion, conventions, job reviews of cabinet
members, and job reviews of elected officials. These resolutions are simply to express the
opinion of the Joint Council of Chapter Presidents about JSA matters; they do not require any
action and are not law.

g) Any NES member shall be able to attend a meeting of the Joint Council of Chapter
Presidents and propose an act, resolution, or piece of legislation. Chapter Presidents shall be the
only members to hold a vote in the Joint Council of Chapter Presidents with the single
exception to be the Lt. Governor or President Pro Tempore, whoever may be presiding. This
presiding officer will only hold a vote in the case of a tie.

Section 2. The legislature may meet at any NES activity accessible to the entire state where quorum is
reached.

a) In order for official business to be conducted, the meeting must be called by the Lieutenant
Governor and presided by the Lieutenant Governor. In the case that the Lieutenant Governor
cannot preside, the President Pro Tempore shall preside. The Lieutenant Governor must call a
meeting at every state convention.

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b) Quorum will be necessary to conduct official business. Quorum shall be defined as 51% of
the Chapter Presidents present at the function.

Section 3. Each Chapter President shall only have one vote. The Lieutenant Governor shall have a vote
only in the case of a tie.

Section 4. Every motion shall require a majority vote of delegates present to pass unless otherwise
noted.

Article VII: The Judicial Branch

Section 1. There shall be five members of the Board of Judicial Review. These members shall be the
State Chief Justice, the two State Associate Justices, the New England Region Justice, and the Empire
Constitution Region Justice. Associate Regional Justices may advise Regional Justices, but they may not
vote, except in the absence of the Regional Justice.

Section 2. State Justices shall be NES members appointed by the Governor while Regional Justices shall
be appointed by their respective mayors. All justices shall be confirmed by a majority vote of the Joint
Council of Chapter Presidents.

Section 3. The court shall rule on the constitutionality of every bill passed by the legislature and every
decision of each regional legislative body. It shall also have the power to rule on the constitutionality of
the actions of the executive branch.

a) When a bill is passed, it shall be passed to the Board of Judicial Review.

b) The Board shall then review the law. If it decides (by a majority) that the bill is constitutional,
the bill becomes law. If they decide (by a majority) that the bill is not constitutional, a hearing
must be held. The official decision must be made after the hearing.

Section 4. Complaints may be brought in front of the court by any NES JSA member. The court may
be called into session by the Chief Justice at any time, including without the consent of the Governor
and Lieutenant Governor. However, if the session is called without the consent of the Governor and
Lieutenant Governor, the Chief Justice must notify them both at least two weeks in advance with the
date, time, and docket.

Section 5. The justices may be impeached by a vote of 2/3 by the Joint Council of Chapter Presidents
after being given at least five minutes to address the body concerning the impeachment. Upon
impeachment, the justice shall be removed from his/her position. Replacement justices shall be selected
using the procedures described in Section 2.

Section 6. The Chief Justice shall serve as chair of the Board. He or she shall represent the board to the
members. The Chief Justice shall also have the power to set procedures for the Board, as well as to
enact gag orders on the deliberations of the Board.

Section 7. The Board of Judicial Review shall have the power to subpoena the written or vocal
testimony of any member of the Northeastern State and to issue injunctions banning enforcement of
any bill until a hearing can be held.

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Section 8. The winners of the case shall be decided by a majority of the justices. Each justice shall only
have one vote.

Article VIII: Supremacy Clause

Section 1. This constitution supersedes all other constitutions on the region or chapter level. Anything
that contradicts this Constitution will be null and void.

Article IX: Amendments

Section 1. In order for this constitution to be amended, a meeting must be held during a state
convention. At this meeting, open to all tax-paid members of the Northeastern State, the Lieutenant
Governor must present the proposed amendment to all present. At the same meeting, there shall be a
vote taken of all present (where each member gets one vote) about the proposed amendment. If a
majority of those present vote in favor of the amendment, the amendment shall be presented (on the
same weekend) to the Joint Council of Chapter Presidents. If the Joint Council of Chapter Presidents
votes in favor of the amendment with a 2/3 majority, the amendment shall be adopted.

Article X: Rules of Procedure

Section 1. Official rules and procedures for the Joint Council of Chapter Presidents shall be the latest
edition of Robert Rules of Order.

Article XI: Ratification

Section 2. All chapters authorized prior to the adoption of this constitution shall remain authorized.

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Code of Laws
Patel Election Reform Act of 2005
Whereas, it is necessary for the creation of a formal election procedure in the Northeastern State

Article I: The Fair Elections Committee

Section 1. The Lieutenant Governor shall preside over all Northeastern State elections, unless he or she
is running for an elected position, in which case the President Pro Tempore would preside in his or her
place.

a) The Lt. Governor must decide if he or she will be running for an elected position by Fall
State. If the Lt. Governor is going to run for a position, the President Pro Tempore must also
decide whether he or she will be running for a position. If both are, then the State Assembly
must appoint a different person to preside over the elections.

Section 2. The creation and advancement of the laws defining the election process shall solely be the
responsibility of the State Assembly.

Section 3. There shall be a Fair Elections Committee (FEC), chaired by the official designated to
preside over elections (per Section 2 of this article) and consisting of 4 (four) members from the State
Assembly other than the Chairperson, all confirmed by the assembly. This committee will have the duty
of running elections. Members of the FEC may not support any candidate and must remain neutral and
impartial during their time on the committee. The committee shall be formed by the State Assembly
during Winter State and shall be dissolved at the conclusion of the elections.

a) The FEC may only make decisions when all five members are present.

b) In voting on those decisions, each member shall hold one vote.

Article II: The Candidates

Section 1. Any tax paying member within the Northeastern State may run for a single elected position
on the state or regional level and shall be considered a candidate when he or she announces his or her
candidacy to a group of delegates.

Section 2. A member may announce his or her candidacy anytime between the opening session of
Winter Congress and noon on the Saturday of Spring State.
a) In order for a candidate to officially declare his or her candidacy, he or she must fill out and
submit the FEC Forms, created annually by the Chairperson of the FEC or his or her designee.
These forms must be filed before noon on the Saturday of Spring State.

Section 3. A candidate may not be graduating the year that they run for an elected position.

Section 4. If a candidate is not present at Spring State or any other official function, the candidate may
designate one proxy to run the campaign. This proxy shall fill the role of the candidate and be allowed
to make speeches in the candidate’s stead. The proxy shall be obliged to follow the election law as if he
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or she were the candidate and the candidate is subject to punishments should the proxy violate any parts
of the law.

Section 5. A description of the duties and powers of all elected officials shall be published in the Spring
State Agenda packet.

Article III: Campaigning

Section 1. Candidates may make official campaign speeches during any officially sponsored event where
a member of the FEC or the Chairperson’s designee is present to preside over the forum.

a) Candidates running for the same position shall be allotted equal amounts of time per speech.

b) Should there be a political fair at Winter State, each candidate shall be allowed the
opportunity to set up a table for the campaign.

c) At Spring State candidates will be allotted the following time for speeches:

i. All candidates shall be allotted a period of five minutes for candidacy speeches and
endorsements. During those five minutes, each candidate must have two endorsement
speeches made by members of the NES. Each endorsement may last no longer than one
minute.

ii. State candidates shall receive one block allotted for a question answer session, which
shall be equally divided between the Governor and Lieutenant Governor candidates.

iii. Regional candidates shall have one block of time during which they may make their
three minute speech. During these three minutes they must also have one endorsement
speech made by a member of their respective region with a limit of one minute.

d) The lengths of speeches and duration of nomination block are subject to change depending
upon the number of candidates for each position. The determination shall be made by the
Chairperson of the Fair Elections Committee, with the guidance of the Conventions
Coordinator.

e) Candidates may approach an individual JSA member at any time

during the year, to ask for his/her support. If a candidate approaches more than
one member at any given time regarding his/her candidacy then the candidate
shall be punished according to Article V of this bill.

i. Candidates may not send form e-mails prior to the opening session
of Winter Congress. If a candidate is found sending form emails, then it
shall be considered the equivalent to declaring one's candidacy to a group
of delegates.

Section 2. Spending limits of candidates shall be as follows:

a) The Governor and Lieutenant Governor candidates shall have a spending limit of $300. The
Mayor and Vice Mayor candidates shall have a spending limit of $150. This shall include the
price of all costs associated with the campaign including, but not limited to, paper, toner/ink,

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stickers, markers, pens, pencils, and other “give-aways.” Costs not counted include, but are not
limited to, phone bills and transportation costs. Any and all costs related to a campaign shall be
determined by the Chairperson of the FEC.

b) Candidates must give the Chairperson of the FEC a detailed report of the money spent on
their campaign.

i. If any materials are donated to (or reduced in price for) a candidate, then they shall be
assessed at fair market value (decided by the Chairperson of the Fair Elections
Committee) and their spending limit will be lowered accordingly.

c) Candidates may distribute appropriate items such as literature, stickers, buttons, and other
objects after the opening session of Winter State and until the end of elections. They may also
hang posters in the room(s) designated by the Chairperson of the FEC at Spring State only.

i. Candidates must notify the Chairperson of the Fair Elections Committee of their
intention to hang posters at Spring State.

ii. Candidates are responsible for all forms of literature and other objects that they hand
out, and must clean up any literature or objects that have been left behind by delegates.

Section 3. Campaigning must end upon the elimination of the candidate or the conclusion of the
elections.

Article IV: Ethics

Section 1. Candidates must respect other delegates and candidates for all offices.

Section 2. Candidates shall not slander anyone, nor may they write libel.

Section 3. Candidates may not bribe delegates for votes. This may include the exchange of money or
items for the promise of a vote. Candidates may not promise or offer cabinet positions.

Section 4. Candidates may be punished for improper action made prior to their annunciation of
candidacy and after the closing of previous Spring State.

Section 5. Candidates are responsible for the ethical conduct of their campaign teams.

Section 6. Candidates must remain ethical in their campaigns. The final determination of ethics shall fall
to the Chairperson of the FEC.

Article V: Infractions/Punishments
Section 1. Candidates shall not officially declare their candidacies or distribute campaign materials
before the opening session of Winter State.

a. If a candidate declares his or her candidacy to a group of delegates before the opening session
of Winter State, the candidate’s spending limit shall be reduced by ¼ of the original limit. A
candidate may, however, discuss their candidacy with their own chapter even before the opening
session of Winter State.
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b. If a candidate (or his or her agent) distributes campaign materials before opening session of
Winter State, the candidate’s spending limit shall be reduced by ½ of the original limit.

c. If a candidate both declares his or her candidacy and distributes literature before the opening
session of Winter State, then he or she shall be eliminated from the race and may not run for
any other office.

Section 2. Candidates may only campaign and/or hand-out campaign materials during designated times.
Such times are to be determined and announced by the Chairperson of the FEC, but must include
during meals, between blocks, and any free time at nights.

a) Candidates who campaign and/or hand-out campaign materials during any non-designated
time are subject to a reduction in their spending limits ranging from $50 to $150 at the discretion
of the Chairperson of the FEC.

b) Candidates shall be responsible for their campaign staffs and those assigned to distribute
literature. If an agent of a candidate campaigns and/or hands-out campaign materials during any
non-designated time, the candidate is subject to a reduction in his or her spending limit ranging
from $25 to $125 at the discretion of the Chairperson of the FEC.

Section 3. Candidates shall not violate the ethical rules set down in Article IV.

a) Candidates violating the ethical rules shall be punished at the discretion of the Chairperson of
the FEC. The punishment may be a reduction in spending limit ranging from $25 to $300 or
disqualification from the race.

Section 4. If a candidate has not filed his or her forms by noon on the Saturday of Spring State, then
the candidate is not official and may not run. The decision to make an exception shall be at the sole
discretion of the Chairperson of the FEC.

Section 5. If any candidate distributes inappropriate items, those items shall be confiscated and the
candidate may be subject to a reduction in spending limit at the discretion of the Chairperson of the
FEC. Should the candidate continue to distribute inappropriate items, the candidate shall be disqualified.

Section 6. Candidates shall be responsible for all violations made by their campaign teams. The
punishments for those violations are to be determined by the Chairperson of the FEC but may not
exceed the punishments that would be applied to a candidate committing the same infraction.

Section 7. If a candidate exceeds his or her spending limit, the punishment shall be determined by the
Chairperson of the FEC.

Article VI: Election Procedure

Section 1. The elections of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Mayors, and Vice Mayors shall take
place at Spring State.

Section 2. Only tax-paid members of the NES present in the room at the commencement of the voting
round may participate in that round of voting. During regional elections, only members of that region in
the room at the commencement of the voting round may participate in that round of voting.

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a) Each member may only have one vote per round.

Section 3. The Fair Elections Committee shall commission agents to assist in the administration of the
election.

a) FEC agents must be neutral delegates who do not publicly support a candidate.

Section 4. During each round of voting, ballots shall be distributed to chapters by FEC agents, one
ballot per person in each chapter.

a) There shall be one FEC agent assigned to each chapter

b) The ballots shall be distributed within the chapter by the chapter president.

c) The chapter president (or the acting chapter president) shall collect all of the ballots from his
or her respective chapter after each member has voted.

d) The chapter president shall then count all of the votes and submit the ballots to the chapter’s
FEC agent.

e) The FEC agent shall then count the ballots and check the count with the chapter president.
Any discrepancies shall be decided by the Chairperson of the FEC.

f) After an official count is reached, the ballots are to be brought to the Chairperson of the FEC.

g) FEC agents and members will not vote with their chapters. They shall cast their votes after
the chapters have confirmed their votes, but before chapter presidents have announced them.
The FEC agent and member votes shall be announced last.

Section 5. The official votes of each round shall be announced by each chapter president, with the
totals announced at the end.

Section 6. Elections shall take place in a run-off style.

a) If a candidate has more than 51% of the votes, than he/she shall automatically win.

b) If no candidate has a 51% plurality then the candidate with the least amount of votes shall be
dropped from the ballot.

c) If any group of candidates has votes that total less than the votes of the next highest
candidate, then those candidates shall all be removed from the race.

d) This process of elimination shall continue until one candidate gains a majority vote.

e) Any person within that chapter may request a secret ballot for the entire chapter. Such a
request must be made to the Chairperson of the FEC before the commencement of the voting.

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f) The winning candidate may make a one minute acceptance speech if they so choose. All other
candidates shall have the option of making a one minute concession speech at the time of their
eliminations.

Section 7. At least one candidate will be eliminated from each race after every round of voting.

Article VII: Remaining powers

Section 1. Any election procedure not mentioned in this bill shall be left to the discretion of the Fair
Elections Committee.

Section 2. Any decision made by the Chairperson of the FEC may be appealed to the Fair Elections
Committee.

a) The FEC has the power to overrule any decision made solely by the Chairperson.

Article VIII: Annual Review

Section 1. This bill shall be reviewed by the State Assembly at every Fall State, and shall be adjusted as
needed.

ENACTED BY THE STATE ASSEMBLY Spring State 2005

James Betz, Lieutenant Governor
Kavita Patel, President Pro-Tempore

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2006 Joint Council of Chapter Presidents Act

Section 1. The Northeast State Constitution is hereby amended accordingly:

a) All references to the State Assembly are hereby replaced with the Joint Council of Chapter
Presidents.
b) References State Assembly Representatives are hereby replaced with Chapter Presidents or
the Chapter President’s designee.
c) Section E of the Lieutenant Governor’s responsibilities is hereby stricken.
d) The legislative body shall adhere to the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order.

ENACTED BY THE STATE ASSEMBLY, Spring State 2006

Jordan Levine, Lieutenant Governor
Talya Housman, President Pro-Tempore

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Fletcher Election Reform Act of 2009

(A rewriting of the Patel Election Reform Act of 2005)

Whereas, it is necessary to re-establish fair election practices in the Northeast State.

Whereas, it is necessary to reaffirm the electoral integrity of the Northeast State.
Whereas, it is necessary to update the electoral infrastructure of the Northeast State.

Article I: The Fair Elections Committee

Section 1. The Lieutenant Governor shall preside over all Northeast State elections.

a) If the Lieutenant Governor is running for an elected position, the President Pro Tempore
(Lieutenant Governor’s Chief of Staff) shall preside over the elections in his or her place.

b) If the Lieutenant Governor is going to run for a position, the President Pro Tempore must also
decide whether he or she will be running for a position. If both are, the Joint Council of Chapter
Presidents (JCOCP) must appoint a different person to preside over the elections at Fall State.

c) The Lieutenant Governor and President Pro Tempore must decide if they are running for an
elected position by Fall State. However, they both must abide by the rules of declaration and
campaigning set forth in Article III, except when addressing the JCOCP about their inability to
serve as Fair Elections Chair.

Section 2. The creation and advancement of the laws defining the election process shall solely be the
responsibility of the Joint Council of Chapter Presidents.

Section 3. There shall be a Fair Elections Committee (FEC), chaired by the official designated to preside
over elections (per Section 1 of this article) and consisting of four (4) members appointed by the Fair
Elections Chairperson and approved by the Joint Council of Chapter Presidents.

a) Members of the FEC may not support any candidate and must remain neutral and impartial
during their time on the committee.

b) The committee shall be approved by the Joint Council of Chapter Presidents at Winter Congress
and shall be dissolved at the conclusion of the elections at Spring State.

c) The Fair Elections Committee shall help the Fair Elections Chairperson execute the Northeast
State’s elections fairly and efficiently.

d) The members of the FEC are allowed to collect literature and campaign paraphernalia, but they
are not allowed to use this power to support any candidates. All materials they collect from
candidates must not be visible in any way.

e) There shall be no secret members of the FEC.

Article II: The Candidates

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Section 1. Any tax-paying member who meets the qualifications of being a citizen of the Northeast
State, set forth in the Northeast State Constitution, who is not graduating at the end of the scholastic
year, may run for a single elected position on the state or regional level. He or she shall be considered a
legitimate candidate when he or she officially announces his or her candidacy to a group of delegates,
per Section 2 of this article.
Section 2. A member may announce his or her candidacy any time between a specified time period at
Winter Congress and noon on the Saturday of Spring State.

a) Candidacy declarations at Winter Congress will take place annually at a time chosen by the Fair
Elections Chairperson, with approval by the Program Director.

b) No candidate may declare candidacy before the chosen time period.

c) In order for a candidate to declare officially his or her candidacy, he or she must fill out
completely and submit the FEC Forms, created annually by the Chairperson of the FEC or his
or her designee. These forms must be filed to the Fair Elections Chairperson at or before noon
(12:00 PM) on the Saturday of Spring State.

d) It is the responsibility of the candidates to hand these forms in. It is not the responsibility of the
FEC to ask candidates to hand in the forms.

Section 3. If a candidate is not present at Spring State or any official function, including Regional events
and Mini- and Mega-cons, the candidate may designate one proxy to run the campaign.

a) This proxy shall fill the role of the candidate and be allowed to make speeches and participate in
candidates’ forums in the candidate’s stead.

b) The proxy shall be obliged to follow the election law as if he or she were the candidate, and the
candidate is subject to punishments should the proxy violate any parts of the law.

c) The proxy need not be the same person event to event. However, the candidate may not have
more than one official proxy at one single event.

Section 4. A description of the duties and powers of all elected officials shall be published in the Spring
State agenda packet.

Article III: Campaigning

Section 1. Candidates may make official campaign speeches during any officially sponsored event where
a member of the FEC or the Chairperson’s designee is present to preside over the forum.

a) If a member of the FEC is not present, the FEC Chair must appoint someone to preside over
the forum. This appointee cannot be a candidate.

b) Candidates running for the same position shall be allotted equal amounts of time per speech.

c) At Winter Congress, every candidate will be allotted the following time for candidacy speeches:

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i. There shall be a period of time during which candidates for all offices shall each make a
one-minute speech announcing their candidacies.

d) Should there be a political fair at Winter Congress taking place after candidacy declarations, each
candidate shall be allowed the opportunity to set a table for the campaign. If this takes place
before candidacy declarations, candidates will not be allowed to have a table at the political fair.

e) At Spring State, candidates will be allotted the following time for speeches:
i. All candidates running for state positions (Governor or Lieutenant Governor) shall be
allotted a period of five minutes for candidacy speeches and endorsements. During
those five minutes, each candidate may have a maximum of two endorsement
speeches made by members of the NES. The total sum of the time for the two
endorsements and the candidate’s speech must not exceed five minutes.

ii. All candidates running for regional positions (Mayor or Vice-Mayor) shall be allotted a
period of three minutes for candidacy speeches and an endorsement. During those
three minutes, each candidate may have a maximum of one endorsement speech
made by a member of the NES. The total sum of the time for the endorsement and
the candidate’s speech must not exceed three minutes.

iii. Candidates are not required to have endorsement speeches.

iv. State and regional candidates shall receive a block of time allotted for a question and
answer session. The time shall be divided equally between the Vice Mayor and
Mayor candidates and also for the Lieutenant Governor and Governor candidates,
but the time shall not necessarily be divided equally for Regional and State elections.

f) The lengths of speeches and duration of nomination block are subject to change depending
upon the number of candidates for each position. The determination shall be made by the
Chairperson of the Fair Elections Committee, with the guidance of the Convention Coordinator
and/or Governor.

g) Candidates may approach an individual JSA member at any time during the year, even before
declarations, to ask for his or her support. If a candidate approaches more than one member at
any given time regarding his or her candidacy, then the candidate shall be punished according to
Article V of this year.

i. The only exception to the above rule is that candidates are allowed to discuss freely their
candidacies with more than one member of their chapter.

ii. Candidates may not send form e-mails prior to the chosen declaration time of Winter
Congress. If a candidate is found sending form emails, then it shall be considered
the equivalent to declaring one’s candidacy to a group of delegates.

Section 2. Spending limits of candidates shall be as follows:

a) The Governor and Lieutenant Governor candidates shall have a spending limit of $300 in Fair
Market Value. The Mayor and Vice-Mayor shall have a spending limit of $150 in Fair Market
Value. This shall include the price of all costs associated with the campaign including, but not
limited to, paper, stickers, buttons, t-shirts, pens, and other “give-aways.” Costs not counted

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include, but are not limited to, phone bills and transportation costs. The Chairperson of the
FEC shall determine any and all costs related to a campaign not specified by the Fair Market
Values.

b) Candidates must give the Chairperson of the FEC a detailed report of the money spent on their
campaign, to be handed in by noon (12:00 PM) of Spring State.

i. It is the responsibility of the candidates to hand these forms in. It is not the
responsibility of the FEC to ask candidates to hand in the forms.

ii. All campaign materials will be assessed in Fair Market Value. This includes those items
for which the candidate can provide a receipt, those items that are purchased
below the Fair Market Value, and those items the candidate receives a discount or
receives for free.

c) Candidates may distribute appropriate items such as literature, stickers, buttons, and other
objects after they declare their candidacy until the end of elections. They may also hang posters
in the room(s) designated by the Chairperson of the FEC at Spring State only.

i. The candidates must follow the stipulations set forth by the hotel about hanging up
posters, including, but not limited to, a specific type of tape required to hang up the
posters.

ii. Candidates must notify the Chairperson of the FEC of their intention to hang up posters
at Spring State.

iii. At Spring State, candidates are not allowed to hang up posters before Saturday morning.

iv. Candidates are responsible for all forms of literature and other objects that they hand
out. They must clean up any literature or objects that have been left behind. If
literature or other campaign paraphernalia are left on the floor, candidates will be
punished as per Article V of the Fair Election Handbook.

Section 3. The Chairperson of the FEC must approve all materials before distribution or posting. This
includes, but is not limited to, all campaign literature, all material being posted on a candidate’s website,
Facebook groups, and button designs.

a) If the Chairperson of the FEC is not available, then members of the Fair Elections Committee
can approve materials with the Chairperson’s consent.

b) Candidates must be generous with time when asking for approval of materials. Candidates
should give at least 48 hours’ notice before an event, or their literature may not be approved.

Section 4. Campaigning must end upon the elimination of the candidate or the conclusion of the
elections.

Article IV: Ethics

Section 1. Candidates must respect other delegates and candidates for all offices.

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Section 2. Candidates shall not slander anyone, nor may they write libel.

Section 3. Candidates may not bribe delegates for votes. This may include the exchange of money or
items for the promise of a vote. This does not include “give-aways” that are paid for in Fair Market
Value. Candidates may not promise or offer cabinet positions.

Section 4. Candidates may be punished for improper action made prior to their declaration of candidacy
and after the closing of the previous Spring State.

Section 5. Candidates must respect candidates running for offices other than the one for which they are
campaigning and may be punished for ethics violations of this nature.

Section 6. Candidates are responsible for the ethical conduct of their campaign teams.

Section 7. Candidates must remain ethical in their campaigns. The final determination of ethics shall fall
to the Chairperson of the FEC.

Article V: Infractions/Punishments

Section 1. Candidates shall not officially declare their candidacies or distribute campaign materials
before the chosen declaration period at Winter Congress.

a) If a candidate declares his or her candidacy to a group of delegates (more than one person)
outside of his or her chapter before the chosen time to declare candidacies at Winter Congress,
the candidate’s spending limit shall receive a deduction of ¼ of the original limit. A candidate
may, however, discuss their candidacy with his or her own chapter even before declaring at
Winter Congress.

b) If a candidate (or his or her agent) distributes campaign materials before the chosen time to
declare candidacies at Winter Congress, the candidate’s spending limit shall receive a deduction
of ½ of the original limit.

c) If a candidate both declares his or her candidacy and distributes literature before an appropriate
declaration of candidacy, then he or she shall be eliminated from the race and may not run for
any other office.

Section 2. Candidates may only campaign and/or hand out campaign materials during designated times.
Such times are to be determined and announced by the Chairperson of the FEC, but must include
during meals, between blocks, and any free time at nights.

a) Candidates who campaign and/or hand-out campaign materials during any non-designated time
are subject to a reduction in their original spending limits at a minimum of 15% not to exceed
50%, depending on the severity of the infraction, at the discretion of the Chairperson of the
FEC.

b) Candidates shall be responsible for their campaign staffs and those assigned to distribute
literature. If an agent of a candidate campaigns and/or hands out campaign materials during any
non-designated time, the candidate is subject to a reduction in his or her original spending limits
at a minimum of 5% not to exceed 25%, depending on the severity of the infraction, at the
discretion of the Chairperson of the FEC.
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Section 3. Candidates shall not violate the ethical rules set down in Article IV.

a) Candidates violating the ethical rules shall be punished at the discretion of the Chairperson of
the FEC based on the severity of the infraction. The punishment may be a reduction in
spending limit at a minimum of 5% to immediate disqualification from the race.

Section 4. Candidates are responsible for all forms of literature and other objects that they hand out.

a) Candidates will receive a 25-cent reduction in their budget for every piece of literature or “give-
away” left behind.

Section 5. If a candidate has not filed his or her forms by noon on Saturday of Spring State, then the
candidate is not official and may not run.

Section 6. If a candidate distributes inappropriate items, those items shall be confiscated and the
candidate may be subject to a reduction in spending limit at the discretion of the Chairperson of the
FEC. If the candidate continues to distribute inappropriate items, the candidate shall be disqualified.

a) If the inappropriate items are beyond an acceptable level of inappropriateness at the first
infraction, the candidate may be automatically disqualified at the discretion of the Chairperson
of the FEC.

Section 7. Candidates may not post inappropriate materials on the Internet relating to their campaign. If
the candidate does post inappropriate material on the Internet, he or she will be given 48 hours to take
the content down. If the candidate does not take the content down after 48 hours, the candidate shall be
disqualified.

a) If the inappropriate posting on the Internet is beyond an acceptable level of inappropriateness at

the first infraction, the candidate may be automatically disqualified at the discretion of the
Chairperson of the FEC.

Section 8. Candidates shall be responsible for all violations made by their campaign teams. The
punishments for those violations are to be determined by the Chairperson of the FEC but may not
exceed the punishments that would be applied to a candidate committing the same infraction.

Section 9. If a candidate exceeds his or her spending limit, the punishment shall be determined as
follows:

a) If a candidate goes greater than zero percent (0%) to twenty percent (20%) over budget
including all punishments, then the punishment will be a public announcement before voting
with the amount he or she went over budget.

b) If a candidate goes greater than twenty percent (20%) over budget including all punishments,
then the candidate will be automatically disqualified.

Article VI: Election Procedure

Section 1. The elections of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Mayors, and Vice-Mayors shall take
place at Spring State.

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Section 2. Only tax-paid members of the NES present in the room at the commencement of the voting
round may participate in that round of voting. During regional elections, only members of that region in
the room at the commencement of the voting round may participate in that round of voting.

a) Each member may only have one vote per round.

Section 3. The Fair Elections Committee shall commission agents to assist in the administration of the
election.

a) FEC agents must be neutral delegates who do not publicity support a candidate.

b) FEC agents may collect literature and other campaign paraphernalia, but they may not allow it to
be visible.

Section 4. During each round of voting, ballots shall be distributed to chapters by FEC agents, one
ballot per person in each chapter.

a) There shall be one FEC agent assigned to each chapter.

b) The ballots shall be distributed within the chapter by the chapter president (or acting chapter
president.)

c) The chapter president (or acting chapter president) shall collect all of the ballots from his or her
respective chapter after each member has voted.

d) The chapter president shall then count all of the votes and submit the ballots to the chapter’s
FEC agent.
e) The FEC agent shall then count the ballots and check the count with the chapter president. The
Chairperson of the FEC shall decide any discrepancies.

f) After an official count is reached, the ballots are to be brought to the Chairperson of the FEC.

g) FEC agents and members will not vote with their chapters. They shall cast their votes before
chapters are given ballots. However, their vote will be announced last.

Section 5. Each chapter president shall announce the official votes of each round, with the totals
announced at the end. A running count of the results of the election shall be updated as each chapter
announces its votes, unless there is technological difficulty.

Section 6. Elections shall take place in a run-off style.

a) Candidates shall be able to make a one-minute speech before each round of voting.

b) If a candidate has more than 50% of the votes, then he/she shall automatically win.

c) If no candidate has more than a 50% majority, then the candidate with the fewest votes shall be
dropped from the ballot.

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d) If any group of candidates has votes that total fewer than the votes of the next highest
candidate, then those candidates shall all be removed from the race.

e) This process of elimination shall continue until one candidate gains a majority vote.

f) The winning candidate may make a one-minute acceptance speech if he or she chooses to. All
other candidates shall have the option of making a one-minute concession speech at the time of
their eliminations.

Section 7. There are certain cases in which a secret ballot may be requested. In all cases, a secret ballot
must be requested before the commencement of the voting of the first round of a single office’s
election. The Chairperson of the FEC must approve it. If it is granted, it will only apply for the election
of one office. For elections of different offices, the secret ballot privilege must be requested and
approved again. The secret ballot extends for all rounds of a single office’s election. The secret ballot
cannot be requested between rounds of a single office’s election. The secret ballot must be requested for
in writing. The secret ballot applies for the entire chapter when granted, excluding FEC agents and
members.

a) Any person within a chapter with a candidate running for office may request a secret ballot for
the entire chapter.

b) Any person within a chapter with a delegation of eight people or fewer may request a secret
ballot for the entire chapter.

Article VII: Remaining Powers

Section 1. Any election procedure not mentioned in this bill shall be left to the discretion of the Fair
Elections Committee.

Section 2. Any decision made by the Chairperson of the FEC may be appealed to the Fair Elections
Committee.

a) For any decision of the Chairperson of the FEC that is appealed to the Fair Elections
Committee, the Chairperson of the FEC and the Fair Elections Committee must meet and
compromise to resolve the issue.

Section 3. If the members of the Fair Elections Committee disagree with a decision of the Chairperson
of the FEC, the Fair Elections Committee and the Chairperson of the FEC must meet and compromise
to resolve the issue.

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