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Author Topic: A guide to the electoral system of the Empire of Wolves  (Read 2068 times)

Offline rufus sparkfire

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A guide to the electoral system of the Empire of Wolves
« on: January 30, 2013, 02:47:30 PM »
The political system in the Empire of Middenland in 2217

In 2215, a year after the fall of the Northern League and the corresponding increase in the Empire of Middenland's territory, Empress Duccia revised the electoral roll. The Empress reduced the forty electorships of her husband's reign to twenty-eight, and re-assigned all of the so-called clerical electorships to leading noblemen. The old system of 'proxy-electors' was abolished as the absurd pantomime it had always been. Duccia believed that the Empire of Middenland should not be afraid to exist on its own merits.

The new electoral assembly met for the first time in midwinter of that year, when the new electoral code was sanctified in the name of Ulric. The Duccian system, used for the first time in 2217, is described here.

The high priest of Ulric, called the Ar-Ulric, is both an elector and the master of the electoral assembly. He is responsible for calling the vote, and for ensuring that the electors are able to meet and vote safely. The Ar-Ulric must perform the coronation of the elected emperor, and can refuse to do so if he suspects that any type of fraud has taken place.

The eleven most powerful of Middenland's nobles are called the primary electors. They alone are eligible for election to the Imperial Throne. Primary electorship is hereditary, though an emperor can remove and re-assign it (Empress Duccia made and unmade primary electors many times during the latter part of her reign).

The remaining sixteen votes are held by the secondary electors. These were once called clerical electors, for historical reasons, though none of them were priests (they were called 'clerics' because Sigmar's original electoral system did not allow for the creation of new elector counts, except under the most unusual circumstances, but later-established precedent allowed for clerical votes). The secondary electors hold their votes at the emperor's pleasure: they are not hereditary, except by imperial command. Additionally, a secondary electoral vote is tied to a particular town or castle. Should the rule of that place pass to another (even by conquest), the vote passes also. The secondary electors are not eligible for election to the Imperial Throne.

Each of the twenty-eight electors has one vote, and all votes are equal. The election must be held on midwinter’s day, in the electoral assembly hall in the city of Middenheim. Electors must be present in person in order to vote, and at least twenty electors in total must be present for the election to proceed. Votes must be cast for a primary elector. Abstention is not allowed. The candidate with the most votes wins, though they must have at least ten votes in total for the result to be considered viable. The Ar-Ulric is able to overrule some of these conditions if the circumstances make it necessary, and has the casting vote in the event of a tie.

The Emperor is elected for life.



The electoral roll in early 2217


The Master of the Electoral Assembly:

The Ar-Ulric, Paul Schutzbar


The Primary Electors:

Grand Duke Ludwig von Rusdorf of Carroburg
Grand Prince Otto von Plauen of Wolfenburg
Grand Baron Achatius von Tiefen of Hergig
Baron Titus Augustus of Delberz
Count Georg von Urenbach of Grossfurre
Count Wilhelm von Sangershausen of Brass Keep
Baron Reuss von Hornhausen of Ahlenhof
Count Wladyslaw von Kerpen of Aukrug
Duke Marius Riccardi of Fort Denkh
Count Herkus von Altenberg of Leichlinberg
Baron Stibor von Orseln of Wahnsinningen


The Secondary Electors:

Burggraf Werner Zöllner von Rothenstein of Suderberg
Markgraf Ludolf von Wüllersleben of Castle Lenkster
Burggraf Heinrich von Wallenrode of Fort Schippel
Markgraf Mieszko von Swantopolk of Winsen
Burggraf Poppo von Schwarzburg of Bokel
Landgraf Gerhard the Elbow-high of Calden
Markgraf Dietrich von Queden of Senden
Burggraf Hermann von Plötzke of Kuttenholz
Landgraf Burchard von Plauen of Eldagsen
Landgraf Karl von Malberg of Schoppendorf
Markgraf Conrad von Braunschweig of Krudenwald
Landgraf Gunther von Jülich of Estorf
Markgraf Wolfgang 'the Fat' of Wurzen
Burggraf Martin Küchmeister von Sternberg of Leudaldorf
Altgraf Anno de Poniec of Esk
Markgraf Hartmann Cureus of Arenburg
« Last Edit: February 25, 2013, 12:03:59 AM by rufus sparkfire »
Hey, I could still beat up a woman!
If I wanted to.