Elections in Ibagli

Ibagli has two types of elections: general and local. General elections are not held on a specific date, but must be held within five years of the last. They are traditionally held on a Thursday. Local elections are held on the third Thursday in February every five years, though they can be moved to coincide with a general election being held in the four weeks before or after the scheduled date.

Eligibility

Any person resident in Ibagli who is a citizen of Ibagli and is age 18 or over is eligible to vote in elections in Ibagli, the Chief Electoral Officer, imprisoned for a criminal offence, mentally incapable of making a reasoned judgement, or have been convicted of corrupt or illegal practices in connection with an election within the previous five years. Senators may only vote in local elections. Until 1974, all Commonwealth citizens were eligible to vote in Ibagli, as were citizens of the Republic of Ireland. Voting is not compulsory in Ibagli.

Though the Queen and the Governor-General are theoretically eligible to vote, in practice it would be seen as unconstitutional if they ever did. Ibaglian citizens who move abroad are allowed to vote for ten years thereafter in the constituency they were last domiciled in. This is also applicable to people who were under 18 before they moved abroad; when they reach 18 they can vote. "Service voters" - including forces personnel, diplomats and other public servants resident overseas - are also eligible. Voters must appear on the electoral register in order to vote; they can now be added to the register until eleven working days before the election.

Party System

Traditionally, Ibagli has had a two party system, arising from the use of the First-Past-The-Post system for general and local elections. With the simultaneous advent of a partially-proportional electoral system and the New Conservative Party, however, it is thought that Ibagli may be transitioning to a multiparty system. The two traditional parties in Ibagli were the Conservative Party, commonly known as the "Tories", and the Liberal Party. Until the early 1990s, the Social Credit Party was an influential third party in Ibagli. The only currently influential third party is the Green Party, which is currently in a governing coalition with the Liberals.

It is easy to stand as an independent candidate in Ibagli, though it is rare for one to win an election. Most elected independents are former members of political parties who are well-known in their districts.

Referendums

The first referendum in Ibagli was held in 2009. It was held for the purpose of determining whether or not Ibagli should return to the first-past-the-post electoral system used until the 2004 General Election. The referendum, however, was purely consultatory and not binding on the government. The legislation enabling the referendum, introduced by John Goodwin's Conservative government, was opposed by the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party. After the referendum was well-received by the public, the Goodwin government introduced an amendment to the Constitution Act that would allow further amendments to be made by a majority vote of the House of Commons and a majority vote in a referendum. The Liberal Party chose not to oppose the amendment in the Commons or the Senate, and the amendment was approved in January 2010. The government announced at that time that it would introduce a constitutional amendment that would abolish the Senate, and that the amendment would be the subject of the first referendum under the Constitution Act.