March 2023 Cascadia general election
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General elections are scheduled to be held on 19 March 2023 in Cascadia to elect the President of Cascadia, the Public Advocate, and all fifteen seats in the House of Representatives for one-month terms. These are the eigth elections to be held in Cascadia, and are to be held alongside 3 judicial retention referendums.
Incumbent President Milgorn123 is choosing to stand for re-election for a second term as President. Incumbent Secretary of Social Services Akeboun announced his campaign for the Presidency on March 12.
Electoral system
President
The President of Cascadia was elected by Instant Runoff Voting due to more than two candidates being on the ballot. In this system, voters complete a closed ballot on google forms, numbering candidates 1, 2, 3, etc. in order of their preference. The voting period lasts for roughly twenty four hours, however this may be a tiny bit more. Voters may mark as many or as few preferences as they wish. Each ballot is initially credited to its first-preference candidate but may be transferred on later counts to the next available preference where the first preference candidate is elected or eliminated.
House of Representatives
Members of the House of Representatives were elected by single transferable vote (STV) from 4 constituencies with between three and five seats. In this system, voters complete a closed ballot on google forms, numbering candidates 1, 2, 3, etc. in order of their preference. The voting period lasts for roughly twenty four hours, however this may be a tiny bit more. Voters may mark as many or as few preferences as they wish. Each ballot is initially credited to its first-preference candidate but may be transferred on later counts to the next available preference where the first preference candidate is elected or eliminated.
Electoral boundary changes
The Electoral Commission convened in early March 2023 under the provisions of Section 2, Article III of the Constitution and made recommendations on changes to constituency boundaries due to monthly changes in population, influence, and activity. The Commission report, released on 9 March 2023, recommended an decrease in the number of representatives from 17 to 15 elected in 4 constituencies, instead of the previous 5; abolishing the constituencies of Salish Coast and Oregon, instead merging both districts into one district: Pacific. The commission also recommended variance in the number of members returned from each constituency, opposed to the equal number used in previous legislative elections. These changes were implemented by H.R. 15 - The Recommendation of the Electoral Commission for March 2023. The election of the 8th Legislature was therefore held using the new boundaries, for 15 seats.