Schedule:

February 1 - Last day to file with the FEC to run for President
February 2 - Endorsement threads to be created; all Platforms for Presidential candidates due
February 3 - Pre-campaigning, Day 1; Final day for Presidential fundraisers
February 4 - Pre-campaigning, Day 2
February 5 - Pre-campaigning, Day 3
February 6 - Iowa Caucus
February 7 - New Hampshire Primary; First local fundraiser cutoff date
February 8 - South Carolina Primary - Last Opportunity for candidates to drop out and run for a Senate or Governor seat in 2012.
February 9-10 - SUPER TUESDAY
February 11 - Later Western Primaries (if necessary)
February 12 - Later Southern Primaries (if necessary)
February 13 - Later Northern Primaries (if necessary);
February 14 - BREAK DAY; Convention locations due; Final day for local fundraising
February 15 - Conventions, Day 1
February 16 - Conventions, Day 2
February 17 - Conventions, Day 3
February 18 - Presidential Platforms Due; Presidential candidates must decide whether or not to accept public financing; Final day for local candidates to file with FEC
February 19 - Presidential prepolls and local primary prepolls
February 20 - Presidential Day 1; Local primaries
February 21 - Presidential Day 2; Local primary results released
February 22 - Presidential Day 3; Local candidate platforms DUE
February 23 - BREAK; Local Election Prepolls and Presidential Quarterpolls issued
February 24 - Local Elections Day 1 / Presidential Day 4
February 25 - Local Elections Day 2 / Presidential Day 5
February 26 - BREAK - All elections Halfpolls issued
February 27 - Local Election Day 3 / Presidential Day 6
February 28 - FINAL ELECTION DAY FOR ALL RACES - DEADLINE FOR EVENTS WILL BE MIDNIGHT, Eastern time
March 1-2 - All results finalized; transition process begins; game returns to normal on March 5.


All deadlines are midnight, EST.

Effective immediately, candidates for Governor will not name running mates for the Lt. Governor position. These will be open races, requiring FEC filings, as standard for other races. These changes are intended to bring more realism and competition to USG.

Lt. Governor elections will remain the same - 4 days, 10 total events - no more than 3 events per day. These events will no longer be solely CTs for the Gubernatorial candidates, but rather events about why you should be Lt. Governor. There will be no org, ads, or fundraising for LtG elections. Primaries will run similar to other positions - 1 day, 5 events.

If you wish to run for a Lt. Governor position in 2012, you must file by the FEC deadline in just under two weeks.

Legislative leaders remain as appointed positions serving at the pleasure of either the Party Chairman or the Governor as follows. If the legislative leader serves in a region with an LTG and Governor from the opposing party, the legislative leader serves at the pleasure of the Party Chairman and may be replaced at any time by the Party Chairman. If the legislative leader is serving in a region with a Governor from the same party, he or she serves at the pleasure of the Governor and may be replaced at any time by the Governor.

2012 election list


WHITE HOUSE:

President: Esther Cullen (D-KY) v. Matthew Mitchell (R-FL) (four year term)
Vice President: Valerie Frances (D-NY) v. Andrew Morrison (R-MI) (four year term)


GOVERNORS:

NOR - Democratic Primary: [Victor Bradshaw (D-NY) v. Aiden West (D-MA)] v. Franklin Binghampton (R-NY) (four year term)
HRT - Andrew Anderson (D-TX) v. Davis Jefferson (R-MO) (four year term)
APP - Marshall Wagner (D-NC) v. Coleman Courtenne (R-SC) (two year term)
MW - James Kennedy (D-IL) v. Thomas Allum (R-MI) (I) (four year term)
NW - Lewis Fitzgerald (D-WA) v. Jason Harris (R-ND) (two year term)
SW - Haley Cavalier (D-CA) (I) v. Albert Hurley (R-CA) (four year term)


LT. GOVERNORS:

NOR - Jennifer Dixon (D-NY) v. Paul Surratt (R-MA) (four year term)
HRT - Arthur Zipolo (D-TX) v. Republican Primary: [James Johnson (R-IA) v. Malcolm Reynolds (R-TX)] (four year term)
GC - Justin Hamilton (D-AR) v. Mark Gilliland (R-AL) (two year term)
APP - Harriet Keir (D-TN) v. Alexander Yates (R-VA) (two year term)
MW - Lincoln Winters (D-IL) v. John Houston (R-IN) (four year term)
NW - Gregory Wolff (D-WA) v. Dan Welty (R-OR) (two year term)
SW - David Aceveda (D-AZ) v. Morgan Randolph (R-AZ) (four year term)


SENATORS

SUN-3 - Arthur Parnell (D-AZ) v. Republican Primary: [Thomas Caffee (R-NV) (I) v. Thomas Lane (R-UT)] (six year term)
BSC-3 - Emma Adcock (D-MT) v. Ken MacLeod (R-MT) (I) (six year term)
CAS-1 - Anthony Sherman (D-WA) (I) v. Lance Hale (R-WA) (four year term)
CAS-2 - James Kwan (D-WA) v. Dahlia Karcin (R-OR) (I) (two year term)
WAB-3 - Eric Smith (D-IN) v. David Vithoulkas (R-IL) (six year term)
GL-2 - Darissa Alder (I-MI) v. Pat Larson (R-MN) (I) (two year term)
GL-3 - Cameron Ferejohn (D-MN) v. Daniel Morey (R-MI) (I) (six year term)
BLU-1 - Bryan McLaggen (D-KY) (I) v. Mark Darlington (R-TN) (four year term)
BLU-3 - Obediah Maysfield (D-TN) v. Angela Alcott (R-KY) (six year term)
DS-3 - Particia Sorenson (D-AL) v. Jefferson Pooty (R-LA) (I) (six year term)
FRM-3 - Joseph Edwards (D-MO) v. Elizabeth Cauthon (R-MO) (I) (six year term)
TX-3 - Edward Wyatt (D-TX) v. Jacob Blutarsky (R-TX) (six year term)
ALL-3 - Jackson Rockefeller (D-OH) (I) v. Jonathan Kadar (R-PA) (six year term)
AS-1 - Teddy Weinberg (D-MD) (I) v. Virgil Hyde (R-MD) (four year term)
AS-3 - Anya Kozak (D-NJ) v. Matt Everson (R-MD) (I) (six year term)
NY-3 - Kevin Carter (D-NY) v. Eric Stevenson (R-NY) (six year term)


To confirm NY-2 is vacant until after the election. There is no special election for it, and the Governor of NOR after the election appoints the replacement, and that person is up in 2014 (though NY-2 is up then regardless, so whatever )

A reminder at election time:

There shall never be a third party in United States Government Simulation. Players that are not members of either the Republican or Democratic party are simply independents for game purposes.

They may not run for higher office (Senate, Governor, President) without the endorsement and nomination of one of the two major parties.

If they are an incumbent in a higher office, they may only run for reelection with the endorsement and nomination of one of the two major parties.

They may, if they wish, collect together in a notional party for role-playing purposes, but at no time will that entity be given any in-game status.

The role-playing entity that is a notional party will not be given a subforum.

CTs from independents shall have no effect on elections.

In summary, independent characters have no in-game effects at all except for voting in those positions they have gained. Independent parties have no in-game effect at all.

Pre-Polls for the Presidential campaign will be out early Friday morning, Excel-willing. I forgot I had to convert the old database to reflect the updated demographics we're now using - oops.

Don't miss Porthos' announcement!

Second, starting money:

With the several defaults that have occured this session, we thought a reminder was in order regarding transfers. Players and parties are reminded that default winners are not permitted to transfer matching or starting funds and those funds do not remain in the default winner's warchest after elections. Only the monies raised through individual fundraising and PACs are transferrable by default winners. Transfers are limited to a total of 20% of a player's warchest.

This is something that shouldn't need saying, but . . .

Per the decision of the A&D to hold back some of our money for the half-poll, I have stepped in to give the remaining funds. See the notes.

As previously mentioned, LOA until Mar. 2. Admins can reveal Day 4 events for NW Lt. Gov and BSC, I'll make grading those a priority when I get back.