Elysiumite senatorial election, April 2021
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
All 34 Seats of the Grand Senate | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnout | 46% ▲ 23 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Results of the April 2021 election on a hex map | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 12th Elysiumite senatorial election was held on 17 April 2021, in line with the Fixed-Term Elections act. It is the first General Election to use this method. Incumbent Prime Minister Adam Johnston continued to lead his party and sought a fourth term under the banner of the Progressive Party. Since last election the Liberal Party was kicked out of government due to them opposing the budget act proposed by the Prime Minister.
Background
The last election resulted in the Progressives winning a third consecutive term, and even more a landslide victory with 60% of all seats and 66% of the vote. The National Conservatives became the official opposition, after participating in their first election, and won six seats alongside 20% of the vote. The Rhinos came in third place with two seats and around 10% of the vote. All other parties got a seat or less and 2% of the vote or less.
Upon the formation of the government Adam Johnston invited the Liberal Party to join the government and made James Christian Deputy Prime Minister. The Yedinist’s leader Zechariah O’Hair was endorsed by the Progressives for a high committee chairmanship, Defense oversight.
After the completion of elections NC Senator Kyle Smith of Clamatoa resigned and in the subsequent by-election the Progressives flipped the seat and Warren Wright became the Senator for the seat. Baddie of the Rhinoceroses Party, another Clamatoan Senator, also resigned but due to his resignation aligning with the census in which Clamatoa lost a seat it was decided not to hold a by-election.
Contesting Parties and Candidates
Elysium uses an electoral system which mixes a large number of constituencies with one region wide seat in each region and a number of list seats to keep the Grand Senate proportional. While the Progressives and National Conservatives are near to one another in size due to, what is often times accredited to the Progressive Parties passionate grassroots support, the Progressives are capable of fielding a larger number of candidates than any other party.
Despite coming in third last election, the Rhinoceros Party was dissolved as a nationwide referendum passed with 95% of the vote to ban satirical parties. Adam Johnston, upon winning, immediately announced his plan to seek his parties nomination, to which he was unopposed. Elliot Doe of the National Conservatives, announced that he planned to step down; he retracted the plans after Kyle Smith dropped out of the leadership contest. No other parties held leadership contest other than the new Christian Democrats, who in a 2-1 vote nominated Archie Sinclair of the parties liberal conservative Branch.
| Party | Party leader(s) | Leader's seat | Last election | Seats at dissolution |
Contested constituency & local seats | Contested regions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % of votes |
Seats | |||||||
| Progressive Party | Adam Johnston | South Josephina | 66% | 16 | 15 | 20 | All | |
| National Conservative Party | Elliot Doe | Memkeria | 20% | 6 | 5 | 9 | All | |
| Liberal Party | James Christian | Franco-Elyria | 2% | 1 | 1 | 2 | All | |
| Yedinist Party | Mr. Shelby Blue | List | 2% | 1 | 1 | 0 seats | HP | |
| Christian Democratic Party | Archie Sinclair | List | New party | 1 | 1 | All | ||
| Pirate Party | Johann Kümmel | Panhandle | New party | 1 | 1 | All | ||
| Elysiumite Heritage Front | FPM | List | New party | 0 | 0 | GEP, CP, TIC | ||
| Ticronvidia First Party | Nicholas Lokin | List | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 seats | TIC | |
Electoral Pacts
Despite the lack of any party wide formal alliances, there was a number of small alliances of one party endorsing another for a constituency seat. Similarly, despite the dissolution of the Left Alliance, the Progressive Party endorsed many third-party leftists in constituencies. The regional Agrarian Socialist Party of Elyria choose once more to not become federal and fully endorsed the Progressives.
In Clamatoa, Liberal Warren Wright was endorsed by the Progressive Party. In Daeltheria, Christian Democrat Andrew West was also endorsed by the Progressives. This is in large part due to the electoral system in Elysium giving constituency seats out before list seats, and as such the more left wing candidates who won constituencies the further left the Senate caucuses of other parties would be pushed. In Savanna, Heritage Front leader FPM stood down and endorsed National Conservative JP.
Similarly there was a high amount of tactical voting this election, in particular Progressives went after the chairman of the Pirate Party, Based Baddie, for his comments that the would prefer the Pirates would work with no one. The Progressives warned that in the case of a hung parliament, right-wing parties could unite and use the refusal of Based Baddie to work with other parties so that the National Conservatives could form a government.
The Electorate
Opinion Polls
Polls this election, while changing greatly, consistently had Progressives in first place and National Conservatives in second. In the first and second polls, prior to electoral reform, as such only a few third party candidates where in the polls bloating the numbers of the major two parties. The Rhinoceros party and Yedinist party, in all the polls the Rhino’s where in, tied; as such the Yedinist covered up thier numbers.
Introduction of Constituencies, Reintroduction of List Seats
After list seats where shortly abolished they where brought back this election with there being nine in this particular one. Furthermore constituencies where created this election for the first time and every voting citizen was divided into one. Incumbents Senators where sorted out of being in the same constituency, except for Mr. Bubbles and Isaac Suter who served in a region which lost a seat, and as such where randomly selected to share a constituency. Constituencies each elected a single candidate through STV. Elyria had six constituencies, Daeltheria had six, Ticronvidia had four, Hilton had two, and Greymont had two. Local seats remained in this election and all incumbent local Senators held their seats.
By-elections
In between the last election and the current one there was a single by-election for the seat which Kyle Smith held but resigned due to wishes to focus on mental health. In the resulting by-election Progressive Warren Wright was unanimously elected Senator.