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Society Basics

Voting & Ballots

Democratic participation through voting and ballots forms the backbone of society governance in SEED. Understanding how to create, participate in, and influence ballot outcomes empowers you to shape your community's future.

How the Ballot System Actually Works

The Democratic Process Step-by-Step

SEED's voting system enables community decision-making on everything from changing your society's constitution to establishing new policies. Here's how the complete process works:

Phase 1: Proposal Creation Only citizens with appropriate legislative permissions can create ballot proposals. This permission varies by constitution type - in Anarchy, everyone can propose; in democracies, only elected officials or specifically authorized citizens can create ballots.

Phase 2: Community Notification Players are notified about elections through the game's notification system when they log into SEED if there's an ongoing election, or when a new election starts while they're online.

When someone creates a ballot, all eligible voters receive automatic notification. The ballot appears in community interfaces, and you'll be alerted about upcoming votes that affect your society.

Phase 3: Discussion Period Before voting begins, there's typically a discussion period where community members can discuss the proposal. Use in-game chat to talk with other society members, or join the SEED Discord community to engage in broader discussions about governance and strategy.

Phase 4: Active Voting Period During the designated voting window, all eligible citizens can cast their votes. Votes are secret - other players cannot see how you voted.

Phase 5: Results and Implementation Once voting concludes, results are announced publicly. Most ballot outcomes take effect immediately, automatically changing society systems, governance structure, or policies according to the community decision.

Understanding Ballot Types

Constitutional Amendment Ballots These fundamentally change how your society operates. Constitutional amendments can:

  • Switch between Anarchy, Electoral Autocracy, and Parliamentary Democracy
  • Modify which roles exist and what permissions they have
  • Change election cycles and voting requirements
  • Alter citizen rights and government authority

Policy and Law Ballots These create rule systems that can trigger specific actions when conditions are met. Policies can:

  • Establish automated responses to community events and behaviors
  • Create incentive systems for activities that benefit the community
  • Manage resource allocation based on specific criteria
  • Set community standards and behavioral expectations

Leadership Ballots These determine who holds government positions and for how long:

  • Presidential elections in Electoral Autocracies
  • Parliamentary elections in Parliamentary Democracies
  • Recall votes to remove poorly performing officials
  • Special elections when leaders resign or are removed

Step-by-Step: Creating Your First Ballot

Prerequisites for Ballot Creation

Before you can create a ballot, verify you have the necessary permissions. Check your society's constitution page to understand who can propose different types of ballots.

Verified: Permission requirements "depend on a society's constitution" - Anarchy allows everyone to propose, while other systems restrict proposal authority

The Ballot Creation Process

Step 1: Access the Legislative Interface Navigate to your society's governance section. This is typically accessible through the Society View interface, where you'll find options for viewing current government, ongoing ballots, and creating new proposals.

Step 2: Select Ballot Type Choose whether you're creating a constitutional amendment, policy proposal, or leadership ballot. Each type has different requirements and implications for your community.

Step 3: Define Your Proposal Write a clear, specific description of what you want to change or implement. Include:

  • Exactly what will change
  • Why this change benefits the community
  • How the change will be implemented
  • Any costs or resource requirements

Step 4: Set Voting Parameters Configure who can vote, voting duration, and any special requirements. Most ballots allow all adult citizens to vote and require simple majority approval.

Step 5: Submit for Community Review Verified: Tutobot confirms "Once you select the desired components and the legislator, name the policy and press the submit button, which will open a ballot to allow for voting on the policy"

Once you submit your ballot proposal, it becomes visible to the community for discussion before voting begins.

Creating Effective Ballot Proposals

Check Your Permissions First Verify on your society's Constitution page that you have the required permissions to create the ballot type you want.

Use Clear, Specific Language Ballot descriptions should explain exactly what will change and why. Avoid technical jargon that might confuse other community members.

Include Resource Information If your proposal requires society funds or materials, state the costs clearly so voters can make informed decisions.

Provide Complete Information Include all relevant details about implementation, timeline, and expected outcomes in your ballot description.

Participating in Community Votes

Understanding Ballot Information

Review Proposal Details Read the complete ballot description to understand exactly what will change if the proposal passes.

Check Resource Requirements Understand any costs or resource commitments your society will need to make.

Consider Implementation Impact Think about how the proposed changes will affect your daily gameplay and community activities.

Voting Mechanics

Access Your Ballots Navigate to the voting interface through your society's governance section to see all active ballots you're eligible to vote on.

Cast Your Vote Select your choice for each ballot. Remember that votes are secret - other players cannot see how you voted.

Track Results Monitor ballot progress and results through the same interface where you cast your vote.

Constitutional Changes in Practice

Anarchy to Electoral Autocracy Transitions

How Constitutional Changes Work - Someone with legislative permission creates a constitutional amendment ballot proposing the change. If approved by majority vote, the society automatically transitions to the new system.

Anarchy to Electoral Autocracy - This transition changes the society from universal permissions to a presidential system with appointed officials.

Electoral Autocracy to Parliamentary Democracy - This transition changes from presidential appointment to elected representatives with distributed authority.

Implementation Process

Automatic System Changes When constitutional ballots pass, the game automatically:

  • Changes role permissions according to the new constitution
  • Schedules any required elections for new government positions
  • Updates society management interfaces to reflect new authority structure
  • Preserves existing citizen status while updating permissions

Policy Creation and Management

Understanding Policy Systems

Based on verified information: Policies use "condition from a preset list" that triggers "outcome for when the policy condition is met"

Policies in SEED are rule systems that automatically respond to specific conditions without requiring manual intervention.

Policy Development Process

Step 1: Access Policy Creation Interface Navigate to your society's policy management section through the governance interface.

Step 2: Select Policy Components Verified: Tutobot confirms policy creation involves selecting "desired components"

  • Choose condition types from available preset options
  • Define outcomes that will trigger when conditions are met
  • Set any parameters or limitations for the policy

Step 3: Configure Policy Settings Set up policy parameters such as usage limits, duration, or resource requirements.

Step 4: Submit for Community Voting Verified: "press the submit button, which will open a ballot to allow for voting on the policy" All policy proposals require community approval through the ballot system.

Policy Management

Monitor Active Policies Check your society's policy list to see which automated rules are currently active and how frequently they're being triggered.

Review Policy Performance Assess whether policies are achieving their intended effects and benefiting community development.

Modify or Remove Policies Create new ballots to change policy parameters or remove policies that are no longer needed.

Voting Interface and Mechanics

Accessing Voting Systems

Find Active Ballots Navigate to your society's governance section to view all ballots currently available for voting.

Check Voting Eligibility The interface will show which ballots you're eligible to vote on based on your citizenship status and permissions.

Review Voting Timeline Each ballot displays its voting period duration and deadline for vote submission.

Vote Submission Process

Select Your Choice Choose your preferred option for each ballot from the available choices.

Confirm Your Vote Submit your vote through the interface. Remember that votes cannot be changed once submitted.

Verify Submission The system will confirm that your vote has been recorded successfully.

Results and Implementation

View Results Once voting concludes, results are displayed showing vote totals and the outcome.

Automatic Implementation Successful ballots automatically implement their changes - constitutional amendments modify governance, policies become active, and elected officials assume their roles.

Track Changes Monitor your society's systems to see how implemented changes affect community operations.

Society-Specific Voting Rules

Constitution-Based Differences

Anarchy Voting

  • All adult citizens can propose and vote on any ballot type
  • No restrictions on proposal creation or voting participation
  • Simple majority typically required for passage

Electoral Autocracy Voting

  • Presidential elections occur on scheduled cycles
  • Only authorized officials can propose certain ballot types
  • Presidents can appoint officials without additional voting

Parliamentary Democracy Voting

  • Multiple representatives elected in parliamentary elections
  • Parliament members vote among themselves for Prime Minister selection
  • Various ballot types may have different voting procedures

Election Mechanics

Presidential Elections Verified: Elections occur "automatically every 72 real hours" in Electoral Autocracies

  • Candidates submit themselves for consideration
  • All eligible citizens vote for their preferred candidate
  • Winner becomes president with full executive authority

Parliamentary Elections Citizens vote for multiple representatives who serve in parliament and select executive leadership from among themselves.

Recall Elections Communities can remove officials through special ballots when performance or behavior issues arise.

This guide was generated with AI to help get you started quickly. If you spot any errors or have suggestions for improvement, please reach out via "Contact Us" above - your feedback helps make these articles better for everyone!

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