1751 Senate of the Lakes election/Report

Report of the Report of the Committee on Organising the Elections on the Conduct of the 1751 Senate of the Lakes Election

To the Honourable Senators of the Senate of the Lakes,

In accordance with the obligations set out in the constitutional and statutory provisions governing elections to the Senate of the Lakes, I hereby present the Committee's formal report on the administration, conduct, and outcome of the election held between 10.I.1751 and 24.III.1751. This report concerns the integrity of the electoral process, the registration and participation of electors, and the overall assessment of compliance with the legal framework of the Order of the Holy Lakes.

Overview and Legal Compliance

The 1751 election was conducted to fill fourteen elected seats of the upcoming Fifteenth Senate. The Committee on Organising the Elections confirms that the election proceeded fully in accordance with all statutory requirements, the Brida, and the operative regulations of the Order of the Holy Lakes.

No deviations from mandated procedure were identified at any stage of the process.

The advance scheduling of the election, moved from 1757 to 1751 by resolution of the Senate on 6.X.1750, was implemented without disruption. All institutional actors — including the Hurmu Fyrð couriers, the Palace of the Elenaran ballot custodians, and the Commander of the Order — fulfilled their legal obligations.

Registration of Electors

A total of 1622 electors were registered for the 1751 election.

Automatic Registration

The overwhelming majority of electors were registered through the automatic provisions applicable to adult members of the Order of the Holy Lakes.

Extraordinary Registrations

In accordance with established regulations, 26 electors were registered extraordinarily. These cases consisted of individuals who either:

1. lacked a recorded birth year but demonstrated clear adult status, or
2. were approaching or exceeding 100 years of age during 1751 and submitted the required proof-of-life documentation.

All extraordinary registrations were processed before the deadline of 31.XII.1750, and all documentary requirements were satisfied. The Committee on Organising the Elections finds no irregularities in any of these cases.

Exclusions

Electors were excluded only under the legally defined criteria:

1. failure to provide a verifiable birth year when required,
2. advanced age without proof of life;

No discretionary exclusions were made. Every exclusion can be demonstrated as compliant with standing regulations.

Voting Procedure

The voting procedure followed the traditional, highly secure model used in all Senate elections since the establishment of the Order:

1. Couriers of the Order of the Holy Lakes — principally esquires from the Hurmu Fyrð — made appointments with each elector at a time and place chosen by the elector.
2. Ballots were completed in secret and sealed immediately in envelopes supplied with the voting package.
3. Couriers transported ballots clandestinely to the Palace of the Elenaran, where they were secured and counted under Committee on Organising the Elections supervision.
4. The number of esquires per courier mission varied in proportion to the local security situation, as authorised under regulation.

The Committee on Organising the Elections confirms that no ballot was lost, tampered with, or compromised, and that all ballots cast were successfully conveyed to the counting centre.

Turnout and Participation

Turnout Overview

Of the 1622 registered electors, 1048 cast ballots, producing a turnout of 64.61%. This represents the lowest turnout in the history of elections to the Senate of the Lakes.

Assessment of Low Turnout

The Committee on Organising the Elections has conducted a detailed review of courier logs, appointment records, communication attempts, and geographical participation patterns. The findings are clear:

1. No elector reported being prevented from voting.
2. No courier reported obstruction, threat, or inability to reach an elector.
3. All electors were given the legally required opportunity to request and receive a voting package.
4. No systemic errors, procedural failures, or external interference were identified.

The reduction in turnout is therefore attributable to elector choice, not to any failing or deficiency in the electoral administration.

The Committee on Organising the Elections notes that variations in turnout are not in themselves irregularities, nor do they compromise the legitimacy of the process when electors were afforded equal and unobstructed access to their franchise.

Counting and Apportionment of Votes

All 1048 ballots cast were valid, with no abstentions recorded.

The apportionment of seats was conducted strictly according to law:

1. calculation of the quotient Q = 14L / V for each list,
2. assignment of guaranteed seats according to whole-number portions of Q,
3. allocation of the remaining seats by descending fractional remainders,
4. confirmatory check for lists with insufficient candidates.

The final seat distribution matched the mathematically derived results without exception.

No recount requests were submitted, and no discrepancy was observed between courier tallies and the final count.

Findings and Conclusion

After a complete audit of:

1. the registration process,
2. courier operations,
3. ballot custody,
4. counting procedures,
5. apportionment calculations, and
6. adherence to statutory rules,

the Committee on Organising the Elections affirms that the 1751 Senate of the Lakes election was conducted in full accordance with the law and established practice.

No irregularities, coercion, fraud, or administrative failures were detected.

Despite historically low turnout, the Committee on Organising the Elections concludes that:

1. every elector eligible to vote was given a fair and unobstructed opportunity to do so;
2. all ballots were handled securely and professionally;
3. the results accurately reflect the will of those electors who chose to participate.

The Committee on Organising the Elections therefore recommends that the Senate accept the results in full and proceed with the constitution of the Fifteenth Senate.

IRL report

All ballots were sent out by Ric via DM on Discord to all controllers on Sunday 30 November. Each controller received a unique voter ID. People had until the end of the 6th of December anywhere on Earth to turn their votes in (corresponding to 7 December, noon UTC). No one reported difficulties in voting. Everyone who voted received a confirmation message too.

I received 15 ballots out of 21 controllers (Craitman had previously deregistered all his electors, so he's not counted in this). Thus 6 controllers did not vote. I received confirmation from one controller that he did not wish to participate.

I put out reminders for voting at Hurmu's own discord page and the Micras Discord page too.

I have received no indication that anyone has had anything to complain about the fairness of the election. I have sought to be transparent and helpful. IRL results are also published.

I will not publish who has voted or how people have voted.

– Ric (talk) 13:26, 8 December 2025 (UTC)