2023 Piedmonti general election

The 2023 Piedmonti General Election will be the fourth consecutive annual (and sixth total) elections of elected officials in the Union of Piedmont. The election will be held over two days, the first round of the Consular Election (also called the Qualifiers) will take place place on 24 June 2023, and the election of all other offices up this year (including the second round of the Consular Election) will take place on 2 September 2023. Piedmonti elections held on odd-numbered years are often referred to as 'off year' elections, as not all elected offices are chosen. Senators, Magistrates, and Premiers serve two year terms, and are elected only on even-numbered years.

Procedure

The Consular Qualifier Election will be held on 24 June, with all individuals who registered to run for Consul by the cutoff date of June 1 appearing on the ballot. Voters will report to their respective Township's polling location and cast their ballot for a single candidate between 9am and 9pm. Remote ballots and early voting ballots will be accepted by mail from 15 June to 23 June. These remote ballots will be collected and counted along with the others throughout the night of the 25th and the morning of the 26^th. Results will be officially announced after being verified by the Electoral Integrity Commission and the People's Tribunate.

The General Election will take place on 2 September; voters will cast their ballots for their members of the Popular Assembly, Consul, People's Tribune, and Communal Tribunate. Premiers, Magistrates, and Communal Tribunes are elected by a first-past-the-post system where the candidate with the largest share of the popular vote receives the office. People's Tribune is also elected with one-vote-per-candidate, but the top 9 candidates Union-wide receive a seat on the Tribunate. Delegates to the Popular Assembly are elected through a process of party-list and ranked choice voting. Voters select a 'Candidacy List,' lists of candidates aligned with a particular party, and then rank their top three candidates from said list. Each township's seats are awarded to the lists according to their proportion of the township's popular vote. There was no run-off for this year's Consular Elections.

Background

During her second Consular inauguration in 2019, after the ratification of the Union's second constitution and the establishment of the five term limit for the Consul, Presley Bartlett stated she would count her first year in the Consulship towards her term limit - thus promising not to run in 2023. Though there were countless rumors among the public and media that Bartlett would break this promise for one reason or another, on 30 November 2022 Bartlett confirmed she considered herself term-limited until her right to run for Consul is renewed in 2028. Bartlett is the founder of the Union and historically its most influential politician, and she has purposely avoided any allusion to a chosen successor. Her position is that the Maquis Socialist Coalition should chose its next leader itself, and this has created a broad and competitive race to become the ruling party's next leader. The MSC has been the dominate party in Piedmonti politics and governance since the Union's founding - when it was named the Piedmonti Green Party. Despite this massive electoral advantage, there has been concern from both within the party and without that the MSC can not achieve the same levels of success without the popularity of Bartlett. The Piedmonti Tunnist Party sees this election as their first real chance to secure large political gains - particularly in the National Assembly.

This election has also been shaped by the radical changes brought to the Union as a consequence of its six-month Civil War in 2022, and the subsequent period of rebuilding and reunification that has followed. The Treaty of AP City completely redefined Piedmonti foreign affairs, with over a dozen new micronations in the Charlotte-Fort Mill area being founded and/or recognized by the Union. This 'Metrolina Micronational Boom' was largely spearheaded by Piedmonti-aligned civilian militias formed outside the Union's borders to defend against Provincialist incursion; many of these militias and independent communities then desired to maintain their sovereignty and self-reliance after the war was over. While several of these micronations have allied themselves with the Union, joining the Metrolina Cooperation Organization, several more have not. These numerus new neighbors complicate an already testy situation with the ever-present Civic Authority - a right-wing militia originally formed to attack the Union in 2020 that has progressively organized until today forming a fascist military state that continually threatens the security of Piedmonti borders and citizens.

Consular Candidates

Maquis Socialist Coalition

Candidates in order of announcement
	Alexis King	Corey Weed	Malcolm McClaine	Layelle Omar	Patrick 'P.J.' Hall	Kira Sol
Image	File:Alexis king.png
Position	Senator from Elijah	Delegate from Dobysshire	Senator from New Greensboro	Delegate from New Greensboro, Delegatus Primus	Secretary of Foreign Affairs	Delegate from Somerton
Home Township, Province	Debbs, Elijah	Dobysshire	New Greensboro, New Greensboro	New Greensboro, New Greeensboro	Terramore	Somerton, Solaria
Announced	28 December 2022	31 December 2022	3 January 2023	22 February 2023	27 February 2023	15 March 2023
Ended Run	28 March 2023	N/A	N/A	N/A	5 April 2023	N/A
Advanced to the Second Round?	N/A	No	No	Yes	N/A	Yes
Campaign Logo
Votes	N/A	Qualifiers: 425 - 4.46%	Qualifiers: 543 - 5.7%	Qualifiers: 1256 - 13.18%	N/A	Qualifiers: 2508 - 26.31%

Piedmonti Tunnist Party

Candidates in order of announcement
	Margaret Lindh	Vanesa Mercado	Robert Crenshaw	Deborah Guiles	Jane Medlin-Smith
Image
Position	Polit Mayor of Homeland Beach, Polit Prefect	Senator from Flint Hill	Senator from Peachtree	Delegate from Mount Pleasant	Magistrate of Kingston
Home Township, Province	Homeland Beach, Homeland	New Salvador, Flint Hill	Springbrite, Peachtree	Mount Pleasant, Kingston	Mount Pleasant, Kingston
Announced	29 December 2022	6 January 2023	7 March 2023	17 March 2023	6 April, 2023
Ended Run	8 April 2023	N/A	N/A	26 April, 2023	N/A
Advanced to the Second Round?	N/A	No	Yes	N/A	No
Campaign Logo
Votes	N/A	Qualifiers: 260 - 2.73%	Qualifiers: 2199 - 23.07%	N/A	Qualifiers: 20 - 0.21%

Liberal Union Party

Candidates in order of announcement
	Katie King	Rene Salute	Ricardo 'Rico' Ramirez
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Position	Senator from Kingston	Delegate from New Greensboro	Aedile of the Union Mail Service
Home Township, Province	Mount Pleasant, Kingston	New Greensboro, New Greensboro	Avunculus, Peachtree
Announced	9 January 2023	12 March 2023	22 March 2023
Ended Run	N/A	18 May 2023	N/A
Advanced to the Second Round?	No	N/A	Yes
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Votes	Qualifiers: 288 - 3.02%	N/A	Qualifiers: 1094 - 11.48%

The National Party

Candidates in order of announcement
	Adam Holt	Rachael Fulton
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Position	Premier of Homeland	Delegate from New Nazareth
Home Township, Province	Homeland Beach, Homeland	New Nazareth, East Harris
Announced	15 January 2023	30 January 2023
Ended Run	2 April 2023	N/A
Advanced to the Second Round?	N/A	No
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Votes	N/A	Qualifiers: 762 - 7.99%

Civil Order Party

Candidates in order of announcement
	Gary Fellows
Image
Position	Premier of Japoninca
Home Township, Province	AP City, Japoninca
Announced	4 April 2023
Ended Run	N/A
Advanced to the Second Round?	No
Campaign Logo
Votes	Qualifiers: 177 - 1.86%

Major Issues

Succeeding Bartlett

The defining character of the 2023 elections is the retirement of incumbent Consul Presley Bartlett. Bartlett has served as Consul for five of the Union's six year history, is considered one of its primary founders, and is indisputably the most powerful Piedmonti politician. Her term-limiting marks an inevitable and massive impending shift in Piedmonti governance and politics. When Bartlett first stepped-down as Consul after her first term, the Union suffered greatly from the ensuing power struggles between her successor and the Senate - power struggles that left lasting political scars on the Union lasting until the Civil War four years later. This history has caused concern in the minds of some, who fear the return of political instability with Bartlett's departure, while others are enthused by the future of a Union without her firm guiding hand. The central debate on this topic revolves around the power and influence of the office of the Consul. Bartlett had possessed the political capital to essentially enact her will with little resistance within the Union's constitutional framework, a privilege any potential successor will not have. Bartlett's party, the Maquis Socialist Coalition, has refrained from endorsing any one candidate, leaving the door wide open for several of the party's biggest names to throw their hat in the ring. The Tunnist Party, on the other hand, quickly placed the party's institutional support behind Senator Robert Crenshaw - to the determent of other Tunnist hopefuls. Crenshaw is seen by Tunnist voters and party officials alike as the party's "most electable candidate," often alluding to Crenshaw's status as a war hero and being pivotal to turning the province of Peachtree competitive for the Tunnists.

The UCPA

As a part of Bartlett's large legislative package following the end of the Civil War, 'the Framework for Reunification' as it was called, the National Assembly passed the Union Central Planning Authority Charter Act in November of 2022. This act created the Union Central Planning Authority (UCPA)- an economic planning agency composed of all kinds of Piedmontis from wage workers and professionals, to economic and scientific experts - tasked with creating centralized, three-year economic plans and policy for the Union Government. The UCPA is the culmination of years of societal reforms pushed by Bartlett and the MSC, and is the biggest step yet in the Maquis' goal of transitioning the Union to an "almost complete state of public ownership of the economy." Since the passage of the law, the numerous committees of the UCPA have been drafting their proposal for the plan for the presentation deadline of 4 June. Once the plan is proposed the National Assembly, the two bodies will enter a three month long period of negotiation and amending. While it is likely that the plan will pass rather smoothly, there is always the possibility that the plan is rejected out-right by the National Assembly, and the UCPA will have to begin the process over again next year - with a new Consul and an unknown National Assembly. Even should the plan pass, it will be said successor Consul and future National Assembly who will be responsible for its implementation and execution over the next three years. The UCPA has received wide-spread public support thus far, but has caused a widening of the rift between the Maquis and the Tunnists; who see the the Authority as antithetical to their "merit-centered worldview." The Tunnists have not gone as far as to call for the law's repeal, but do wish to see it greatly reformed. The National Party, however, has mobilized their voter base in favor of repealing the law, often using slogans like "stop communism here!" This anti-communist rhetoric has gained favor from the National Party's supporters, but has also drawn criticism for evoking Provincialist talking points from before the Civil War.

Reactions to the First 3-Year-Plan Proposal

On 5 June 2023, The heads of each Committee of the UCPA presented their proposal for the first 3-Year-Plan. The ~ 900 page document outlines everything from meticulously planned production schedules, to Union-wide economic policy. The members of the UCPA have been straight forward about the fact that they purposefully reeled-in many of their plans, wishing to minimize criticism and drastic, shocking changes to the economy that might cause unexpected issues. All-in-all the proposal is mostly a plan to continue the current state of the Piedmonti economy, with the main objectives being: the raising of wages for non-management workers, furthering the Union Government's nationalization if key industries, democratizing workplaces, and increasing government revenue. The proposal has caused a great deal of controversy from all sides of the political spectrum. The MSC has largely split into those who support the proposal as-is, and those who think the proposal doesn't go far enough - claiming it "perpetuates neo-liberalism disguised as socialism" (Delegate Cole Brooks). Interestingly, the proposal's most notable critic has been Consul Bartlett herself. She stated during an interview with the Union Reporter several days after the proposal was presented: "... I have to say I agree with my fellow Maquis who say [the proposal] doesn't actually accomplish what the UCPA set out to accomplish. I think it is sound, and would still benefit the economy if approved, but it's not the radical reformation I feel the Union needs." The Tunnists have capitalized on the proposal as the core of their domestic policy for this election cycle. The party-line Tunnist position is that the UCPA is a good idea, but using it to raise wages and increase government control of various industries isn't meritorious. However the Tunnists and the Maquis have united in their support of the proposal's most controversial change - the introduction of direct taxation. Since the U.O.P.s inception, no direct taxation has been collected from individual citizens or private institutions, the Union Government's budget was compiled from tariffs, the sale of government bonds, voluntary donations, and the income from state-owned corporations. A central focus of the UCPA for this 3-year-plan was increasing and regularizing government revenue via the introduction of a 5% corporation tax on private businesses, and an 8% value-added tax for transaction totaling grater than 12,000 PF (roughly 4000 USD). The Maquis, Tunnists, and the Union's leading economic experts tend to favor the new taxation, believing it necessary to enable the Union Government to expand and improve its array of public services - and to avoid becoming a tax haven for wealthy Americans. Meanwhile, the Liberal Union Party, the Nationals, and the COP have united to oppose the taxation, claiming it will stifle economic growth.

Protecting Trans People

While the topic of LGBTQIA+ rights and protections have been relevant since the Union's foundation, the matter has been thrust into the spotlight thanks to Presley Bartlett's realization that she was a transwoman in 2022; and the rise of persecution, oppression, and violence against trans people in the United States. As several American states passed a litany of discriminatory laws designed to legalize hatred and attempted eradication of trans people throughout 2022 and 2023, the protections provided by the Union of Piedmont became more and more relevant. This is one of the rare issues that unites the left and the right in Piedmonti politics. The National Party, despite being very new to the scene, has become the dominant right-wing party; and focuses its ideology on fighting "big government;" this stance puts them in (outward) opposition to what they see as tyrannical government overreach by the several U.S. States that have passed such laws. The Civil Order Party (COP), the Union's older - but much smaller conservative party, has been the only anti-trans voice in the nation, receiving an immense amount of backlash in the process. Aside from these few regressive forces, the people of the Union of Piedmont have largely united in their efforts to provide a safe haven for all members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and particularly trans individuals. The Union has many anti-discrimination laws that stretch back to its foundation, being literally written into both constitutions, and also permits citizens to alter their gender identity at will. On top of these preexisting protections, there have been several proposals for expanding rights and security for queer folk both in the Union and in the United states. Several Maquis candidates have rallied around Layelle Omar's proposed Hate Crime Elimination Bill, which would implement strict legal recourses against those who spread messages of violence and identity hatred as well as prohibiting discriminatory legislation. On 26 April 2023, Consul Bartlett signed Administrative Order 03-05-88, which instructed the New Citizens and Naturalization Authority to treat all citizenship applications and entry visa submitted by self-identified trans people as requests for political asylum and to expedite the requests. Additionally the Foreign Relief for Queer Americans Act was passed on 7 may 2023 which created the Office of Queer Piedmonti Services, a government agency tasked with providing a wide range of free services to all LGBTQIA+ folks within the Union's jurisdiction. Despite this unifying national effort, the Piedmont is not removed from "the Culture War" and still experiences aspects of discrimination and hatred expressed by individual Piedmontis. The COP has gone all-in with coopting American conservative talking points - especially when it comes to trans people. Members of the COP have called referred to the trans community as "groomers," "predators," and "degenerates." The also advocate for drastic anti-trans action like outlawing gender affirming care and taking trans children away from parents that aid their transition.

Firearm Regulation

Regulating access to firearms became a major issue in the previous year's election as a response to several mass shootings in the United States at that time. The National Assembly attempted to address the issue with the Comprehensive Firearm Regulation Act (CFRA) passed in August, 2022. However this law was vetoed by the People's Tribunate, being the first time the Tribunate had exercised that power since their inception. The Tribunate vetoed the law on the grounds that it violated the rights of Piedmonti citizens, and that the law did not do enough to accommodate the many loyal militias that sprung up during the Civil War to protect the Union. Consul Bartlett worked closely with the Popular Assembly to draft a revised version of the bill, but it failed to get through the Popular Assembly's Scheduling Committee. The matter seemed to be put on the back-burner by the Bartlett administration, however the discussion has been revived by the Tunnist and National Parties. The Tunnists have rallied around a "common-sense" solution, advocating for background checks, mandatory training and licensing, and a cap to the number of firearms a person can own. The Nationals have taken a more laissez faire approach, iterating that firearm ownership is an undeniable right, and that regulating their ownership is "government overreach." The Maquis Socialist coalition has become split on the issue: one faction supporting the most of the provisions in the original CFRA (putting them more in line with the Tunnists), and another faction that advocates for the total ban on firearm ownership. While the prohibitionist faction of the Maquis is seemingly the minority, they have gained some support from the Liberal Union Party for this position. While the nature of this debate mirrors the debate over forearms in the United States in many ways, the biggest difference also proves to be the stickiest point. The aforementioned militias, many of whom have refused to disband despite the Civil war ending, are opposed to any form of licensing or training being required to retain their weapons - and several groups have made threatening statements towards politicians who advocate for firearm prohibition. It is feared that antagonizing these groups could lead to armed insurrection, or even the eruption of another civil war.

Territorial Expansion

"Piedmonti expansionism" was a pivotal part of Bartlett's administration, and the Ideology of the Maquis Socialist coalition as a whole since it was the Green Party. This focus on diplomatic, peaceful expansion lead the Union's borders to exponentially expand from 2019 to 2022. as the Union grew it encountered several obstacles, most notably the adversarial Civic Authority; but it was the outbreak of the civil war that caused Bartlett to rethink this constant expansion. After the ratification of the Treaty of AP City, Bartlett began campaigning behind-the-scenes to tamper down the rate the Union was growing, and focus on strengthening its internal bonds. While the Union Government has heeded her words thus far, with Bartlett's departure imminent, many in the MSC are pivoting back to their previous expansionist beliefs. This topic has been brought to the forefront of this election by the newly formed Northern Advocacy Group (NAG), a small but very loud political activist group founded in Oakdale. The NAG wishes for the Union Government to allocated more resources to securing Piedmonti positions in Brookshire and other norther territories. Their main aim is expanding the North at a similar rate that the Mainland or Greater Japoninca had been in the past. While expansionism was near-universally popular before the civil war, there is much more skepticism to the idea in the modern Union; many fear instability caused by annexing areas that are not simpatico with the ideals of the Union.

Timeline

2022


Date	Event	Details
30-NOV	Presley Bartlett confirms she will not run for another term as Consul.	Bartlett also refused to hint at a preferred successor, desiring the MSC to produce their best candidate on their own.
28-DEC	Maquis Senator from Elijah Alexis King announces her candidacy for Consul.
29-DEC	Tunnist Polit Prefect Margaret Lindh announces her candidacy for Consul.
30-DEC	The Maquis Socialist Coalition publishes its 2023 party manifesto.	The policies and ideology outlined in the manifesto confirmed the party's intention to perpetuate the objectives of the Bartlett administration.
31-DEC	Maquis Delegate from Dobysshire Corey Weed announces his candidacy for Consul.

January


Date	Event	Details
2	Corey Weed holds a campaign launch rally.	The event draws in a larger crowd than expected by observers, Weed's controversial past and shaky record as a public servant led many to write off his candidacy as a long-shot, but his energy, enthusiasm, and clever marketing gave him a strong start and better polling numbers than his team predicted.
3	Maquis Senator from New Greensboro Malcolm McClaine announces his candidacy for Consul.
6	Tunnist Senator from Flint Hill Vanessa Mercado announces her candidacy for Consul.
9	Liberal Union Senator from Kingston Katie King announces her candidacy for Consul.
15	National Party Premier of Homeland Adam Holt announces his candidacy for Consul.
29	The National Assembly passes the Israeli Embargo Act.	This law issued a general embargo on the import of any Israeli-manufactured goods in response to a flare up in that nation's continuing ethnic violence against Palestinians. This embargo proved mildly controversial among some Christian Piedmontis, with former candidate for Consul and current member of the National Party Leonard Meyers stating: "We should be standing side-by-side with Israel, they are a bulwark of freedom and democracy in a land full of terror and tyranny." In refutation, General Secretary Jocelyn Ferguson stated in a press conference: "...Israel is an apartheid state that wages a genocide and land-theft campaign against its own people. They are a far cry from the kind of nation the Union wishes to associate or trade with."
30	National Party Delegate from New Nazareth Rachael Fulton announces her candidacy for Consul.

February


Date	Event	Details
4	Consul Bartlett submits a diplomatic inquiry to the People's Republic of China in regards to the unidentified balloon that crossed into Piedmonti air-space on the third.	Though the presence of the balloon was not considered a threat to national security, the Union Government did insist on being informed about the violation of Piedmonti territory. Bartlett has yet to receive a response.
8	The Dixon Branch Agreement is signed by the Union Commission and representatives from the Nova Catrthagum Syndicate, incorperating the new Union Colony of Northlake.	The Union Colony's newly appointed Overseer, Martha Graham, was inspired by the success of these negotiations to found the Northern Advocacy Group.
10	The department of Foreign Affairs, by order of the Consul, formally condemns the United States' response and cover-up attempts of the East Palestine derailment.	Secretary Hall also encouraged the National Assembly and the Union rail Commission to evaluate the safety and operations of the Union's rail infrastructure, as it is heavily dependent on the United States.
22	Delegatus Primus of the Popular Assembly Layelle Omar announces her candidacy for Consul.
25	General Secretary Jocelyn Ferguson declines to run for Consul.	Ferguson, being General Secretary and a core portion of the current administration, was seen by many to be the logical successor to Bartlett. Her refusal to run opened the field even wider for more Maquis candidates to seek the Consulship.
27	Secretary of Foreign Affairs P.J. Hall announces his candidacy for Consul.

March

Date	Event	Details
7	Tunnist Senator from Peachtree Robert Crenshaw Announces his candidacy for Consul.
10	The National Assembly passes the Unregulated Currency Control Act, outlawing all forms of crypto-currency in the Union.	This law had been pushed several times by the Maquis, but failed to find enough traction until the collapse of the crypto-banking sector in the United States. The law explicitly bans the use or circulation of currencies not approved or regulated by the Union Government. This law also proved to be a major dividing point between the Maquis and the Tunnists.
12	Liberal Union Delegate from New Greensboro Rene Salute announces her candidacy for Consul.
15	Maquis Delegate from Somerton Kira Sol announces her candidacy for Consul.
17	Tunnist Delegate from Mount Pleasant Deborah Guiles announces her candidacy for Consul.
22	Liberal Union Aedile of the Union Mail Service Rico Ramirez announces his candidacy for Consul.
25	Delegate Cole Brooks gathers a small conference of other Delegates and Senators to compile a policy for the regulation of AI generated media.	The Conference on the Status of Computationally-Generated Media eventually resolved to continue a passive observance of the technology to better gauge an appropriate response.
28	Senator Alexis King formally ends her campaign.	King extended her endorsement for Kira Sol.

April

Date	Event	Details
2	Premier Adam Holt formally ends his campaign.	Holt extends his endorsement for Rachael Fulton.
4	COP Premier of Japoninca Gary Fellows announces his candidacy for Consul.
5	Secretary P.J. Hall formally ends his campaign.	Hall extends his endorsement for Layelle Omar.
6	Tunnist Magistrate of Kingston Jane Medlin-Smith announces their candidacy for Consul.
7	The Metrolina Cooperation Organization meets for the second time ever to discuss the growing instability in the Confederation of Avalon.	As the anti-Piedmonti and pro-Piedmonti faction in Avalon's government grew more and more radical, the MCO resolved to deploy diplomatic, external negotiators to smooth over relations between the groups.
8	In a joint conference, the leadership of the Civil Order Party and the National Party announce 'Operation Moral Center.'	Operation Moral Center is the Piedmonti right's campaign to flood the Union's legislative systems with similar anti-trans bills as has been popping-up in the United States. Bills outlawing gender affirming care, access to hormonals treatment, changing one's legal gender identity, even forbidding public institutions from using an individual's preferred pronouns. These laws have been proposed in the National Assembly, the many Provincial councils, and every Municipal Assembly with a National or COP member there to propose it, though none have yet to see success.
8	Polit Prefect Margaret Lindh formally ends her campaign.	Lindh extends her endorsement for Jane Medlin-Smith, though she would later change her endorsement to Robert Crenshaw.
15	Layelle Omar proposes the Hate Crime Elimination Bill to the National Assembly.	The bill is largely a response to the attacks on LGBTQIA+ rights in the United States, and the intensifying efforts of Operation Moral Center. The bill identifies several societal conditions an individual might find themselves in including, but not limited to: class, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, or national origin; and identifies various ways these groups are systematically oppressed. It then proceeds to outlaw any crimes or actions that could be taken by an individual or institution that fits within those parameters of oppression.
21	The National Assembly passes the Hate Crime Elimination Act 65 to 15, and it is signed into law by Consul Bartlett.	The prohibition of their primary mode of political action enraged the National Party, so they sued the the authors of the law, claiming their second guaranteed right had been infringed. The lawsuit was immediately elevated to the College of Praetors due to its constitutional nature.
26	Consul Bartlett signs Administrative Order 03-05-88.	This order extends political refugee status to all trans-identifying people seeking shelter in the Union.
26	Delegate Deborah Guiles formally ends her campaign.	Guiles extends her endorsement for Robert Crenshaw.

May

Date	Event	Details
8	The College of Praetors hands down its decision in the Union v. Governing Body of the National Party	The College voted 5-0 against the National Party. In her majority opinion, Princept of the College Kristalin Yerty states, "... [the National Party's] use of the legislative system in an attempt to legalize their hatred, and stoke fear into the LGBTQ community may never qualify as protected speech. The very laws of our Union, and the bills they begin life as, are not vehicles for ideology, they are instruments of governing, they are intrinsically privileged speech. Furthermore, the party's actions violate the thirteenth guaranteed right of LGBTQ Piedmontis as well as a litany of anti-discrimination laws." The College ordered an immediate halt to all actions affiliated with Operation Moral Center, and threatened litigation against its organizers should they continue.
10	The Township of Apairae holds a debate among their candidates for Delegate.	Incumbent Delegate and member of the National Party Stanley McDonald and Maquis candidate Gertrude Nellis get into a shouting match when the topic of Union v. National Party is brought up. The argument derailed the event so much the remainder is canceled and the attendees are sent home, however McDonald and Nellis continued their altercation outside the venue. After a few minutes of red-faced shouting at each other, the candidates began to trade blows and had to be separated by bystanders. The event did not reflect well on either candidate.
12	Rachael Fulton founds the Committee for Economic Freedom (CEF).	The Committee for Economic Freedom is a non-governmental organization primarily composed of National Party members and a few right-wing Tunnists that have published a proposed legislative package called: A Proposal for an Accessible Piedmonti Free Market. This proposal is meant to be a capitalist opponent of the 3 Year Plan the Union Central Planning Authority were soon to present in the National Assembly. The radical decentralization and deregulation proposed by the document have yet to gain much traction outside of the group that produced it, yet it became the centerpiece of fulton's campaign as she attempted to distance herself from Operation Moral Center.
18	Delegate Rene salute formally ends her campaign for Consul.	Salute extends her endorsement for Rico Ramirez.
20	The First Consular Debate takes place.	Due to the large number of candidates, the debate was held in a Youtube livestream. The event was criticized for a lack of proper moderation, with candidates speaking over each other and occasionally having to yell. Despite the presence of every major candidate from each party, most debate occurred between member of the same parties as they attempted to differentiate themselves from their ideologically-similar opponents. Delegate Racheal Fulton, being the National Party's sole candidate, used the opportunity to focus more on her parties overall platform, although she drew criticism from her supporters for sticking to economic policies and avoiding the National's extremely controversial social policies. Delegate Corey Weed had a stand-out night, being described by a Union Reporter journalist as, "...more poised, articulate, and informed than he has ever been, actually stepping up to the plate of elected office for the first time in his career."