The Right to Abstain Amendment Act cements a Citizen's right to cast an abstain vote in any official vote or election created by law. It replaces the previous
(which was formally repealed through the ASH Act) after questions arose of whether the Storting had the authority to define a vote/election option outside of their own now-extinct chambers.
Spoiler
We, the Citizens of the Frozen Realm of Wintreath, united under the banner of His Most Royal Majesty Inric I, do hereby enact and consecrate these Fundamental Laws with the aim of creating a sovereign, independent, and free community of nations welcome to all and born upon the principles of liberty, equality, freedom, and compassion.
I. The Monarchy
1. All Executive and Legislative authorities and duties shall be vested in the Monarch of Wintreath.
2. The Monarch shall have the authority to delegate Executive and Legislative powers and duties to subordinate officials and to create subordinate offices at their discretion.
3. The Monarch shall have the authority to determine the line of succession and to appoint their own successor.
a. In the event that the Monarch takes a leave of absence or has been absent without taking leave for one hundred and sixty-eight (168) hours, the successor shall assume the Executive authorities and duties as Regent of Wintreath until the return of the Monarch.
4. The Monarch shall have the authority to serve as World Assembly Delegate of Wintreath or to delegate the authority to a subordinate official.
5. The Monarch shall have the authority to issue decrees in relation to policies concerning the internal affairs of the Executive, the military, foreign affairs, familial houses, the nobility, and any other Executive authority which has been expressly granted through this document or any relevant laws.
6. As the Legislative authority of Wintreath, the Monarch and their delegated subordinate officials shall have the authority to pass legislation, repeal previously passed legislation, propose amendments to these Fundamental Laws, and take any other action deemed necessary and proper to execute the authorities and duties vested in the Monarch by these Fundamental Laws.
a. The Monarch shall have the authority to declare war upon another region or organization.
b. The Monarch shall have the authority to ratify or reject treaties with other regions or organizations.
II. Referendums
1. Only Citizens of Wintreath shall be eligible to vote in referendums.
2. Referendums shall be overseen by the Monarch or the Monarch's designee.
3. In any referendum, Citizens shall have the option to post their votes publicly or send their votes to the person overseeing the referendum via private message.
4. Referendums shall open on the first day of the month after a petition has garnered the requisite number of signatures.
a. Referendums shall be open for one hundred and sixty-eight (168) hours.
5. A petition that has failed to garner the requisite number of signatures may not be petitioned again until the beginning of the following month.
6. Any Citizen shall have the right to petition to place a non-binding resolution on the ballot of the next referendum.
a. If six (6) Citizens, including the petitioner, sign the petition within one hundred and twenty (120) hours of its creation, it shall be included on the ballot of the next referendum.
7. Any Citizen shall have the right to petition to place a proposal to amend the Fundamental Laws on the ballot of the next referendum.
a. If eight (8) Citizens, including the petitioner, sign the petition within one hundred and twenty (120) hours of its creation, it shall be included on the ballot of the next referendum.
III. Declaration of Rights
1. Citizens shall have the right to speak and to protest freely.
2. Citizens shall have the right to be informed of the reasoning behind and provided with any relevant documentation for any decision to revoke their Citizenship, and shall have the right to contest this decision before the Monarch.
3. Citizens shall have the right to vote in all referendums.
4. Citizens shall have the right to manage their nations without interference, except for caps placed on the number of World Assembly endorsements for the protection of the legal Delegate.
5. Citizens shall have the right to petition for a redress of any perceived grievances.
6. Citizens shall not be required to join the World Assembly or to participate in any inter or extra-regional bodies.
7. Citizens shall have the right to stand for any elected government offices for which they qualify and to vote in any regional elections.
8. Citizens shall have the right to vote "Abstain" in any referendum, election, or vote created under the authority of this document or subordinate documents. Abstain votes shall be recorded but not counted for or against the matter at vote, including votes that require supermajority approval to pass.
IV. Administration
1. The Winter Nomad shall be regarded as the Founder of Wintreath, and shall hold root administrator status on all official off-site Wintreath properties.
2. The Winter Nomad shall have the sole authority to appoint subordinate administrative officials on any official Wintreath property, and invest in them any administrative powers as he or she believes is necessary.
3. The Winter Nomad shall hold this position until he or she resigns from it. Upon resignation, The Winter Nomad shall have the authority to appoint his or her own successor, and shall hand the root administrator accounts for all Wintreath properties to the successor upon them taking possession of The Winter Nomad, unless the root administrator is tied to a personal account used outside of NationStates.
4. The Winter Nomad and all subordinate administrative officials shall be responsible for protecting Wintreath properties from any content which is illegal, violates the terms of service of the provider of the Wintreath property, or otherwise brings harm to the region or community. Actions taken under this responsibility shall supersede the Declaration of Rights.
5. The Winter Nomad and all subordinate administrative officials shall also be responsible for the maintenance, organization, security, and technological development of all official Wintreath properties. No government official shall be empowered to make decisions in any of these areas.
V. Constitutional Amendments
1. No section under Administration may be amended without the consent of The Winter Nomad.
2. Any Citizen shall have the right to petition to propose amendments to the Fundamental Laws as defined in Section II.7.
3. The Monarch shall have the authority to propose amendments to the Fundamental Laws.
4. Any Constitutional Amendment shall be considered ratified if approved by both the Monarch and by a two-thirds supermajority of the Citizens of Wintreath voting at referendum.
VI. Miscellaneous
1. No law, decree, ruling, or any other action with the force of law can supersede, violate, conflict with, or override these Fundamental Laws. In the event of a conflict, violation, or an attempt at superseding this act, the law is invalid and these Fundamental Laws take precedence. This does not include amendments to these Fundamental Laws.
