Nova England autonomy referendum, 2018

Nova England autonomy referendum, 2018

Should Nova England cease to be a Mercurian state, and become a joint condominium of Mercury and the Kingdom of Nova England?
Results
	Votes	%
Yes	407,289	56.25%
No	316,773	43.75%
Valid votes	724,062	99.81%
Invalid votes	1,362	0.19%
Total votes	725,424	100%

The Nova England autonomy referendum will take place in 2018 as a means of gauging support for the creation of a joint Nova English-Mercurian condominium in the region. The vote was called following a resounding vote in the Witan, led by Independent England. It is not expected that Nova English Korea will hold a similar vote, due to their location, and their general approval of Mercurian statehood.

Administration

The referendum will be run by the Mercury Elections Commission, and observed by a number of as-yet un-named independent authorities. It is expected that all Nova English residents over the age of 17 will be able to vote, although this is yet to be confirmed. On 11th March, the details of the referendum were confirmed, with date being set for 19th April. The question was also announced as Should Nova England cease to be a Mercurian state, and become a joint condominium of Mercury and the Kingdom of Nova England?

Campaigning

The campaigning period will commence on 20th March, following the announcement of the date and question of the referendum.

Party affiliations

The major political parties have not yet announced their stance on the matter, and it is expected that none will officially confirm their position until after the question has been announced. The most likely scenario involves Independent England supporting the additional autonomy, with the other mainland parties opposing it or taking a neutral stance.

Expected Position	Political parties
Support autonomy		Independent England
Oppose autonomy		National Party
		Mercurian Labour Party
		People's Front
		Conservative