2015 Austenasian general election
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| Turnout | 85.4% (▲ 25.4 pp) | |||||||||||||||
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The 2015 Austenasian general election was the fourth Austenasian general election, held Tuesday, 3 March 2015. Brooklyn Hewitt was elected the third Prime Minister of Austenasia, succeeding in a nonpartisan campaign against the incumbent Eritoshi, Countess of Memphis, leader of the Austenasian Green Party.
Background
After the abdication of Declan I as Emperor and the accession of Jonathan I on 20 January 2013, Lord Marshal William served as Acting Prime Minister for ten months until a general election was finally held. On 19 November 2013, Eritoshi, Countess of Memphis became the second Prime Minister of Austenasia.
Between the time of Eritoshi's election and the beginning of 2015, the Empire expanded significantly, with the number of subjects tripling. Multiple national figures, including Brooklyn Hewitt, expressed the opinion that a general election was necessary, as the electorate that had chosen Eritoshi had become but a small portion of the Austenasian population. The Emperor concurred, and announced on 3 January 2015 that an election would be held in two months' time.
Candidates
The two candidates for the 2015 election were approved by Emperor Jonathan I on 4 February 2015, nearly one month before the date of the election. He named the incumbent Prime Minister HIH Eritoshi, Countess of Memphis and HIH Lady Dux Brooklyn Hewitt, Countess of Greater Richmond, Chancellor and military leader.
Eritoshi, Countess of Memphis
Eritoshi, Countess of Memphis met Emperor Jonathan I in 2012 and became one of his closest friends. She became Legate of Legio I Britannica in March 2013 and joined the House of Representatives in May of that year for the newly-annexed Town, Thanasia, where she lived. She was instrumental in the Liberation of Orly, for which she was appointed Chief Ambassador by the Emperor.
Eritoshi was elected Prime Minister in the November 2013 general election with two-thirds of the vote, after which she was appointed the Emperor's Chief Advisor in the Privy Council. Following her confirmation as a candidate in the election, she founded the Green Party to provide a platform for sharing her policies.
Lady Dux Brooklyn Hewitt
Lady Dux Brooklyn Hewitt was an Ashukov leader before joining the Empire upon the establishment of the Crown Dependency of New Richmond, of which she was appointed Governing Commissioner. New Richmond grew, and was made a Town in September 2014, with Brooklyn as Acting Representative. On Independence Day of that year, she was made a Caesar and the Emperor's deputy for governing Crown Dependencies in North America.
Brooklyn was confirmed Representative of New Richmond in the 2014 local election, and was appointed Chancellor. She became prominent in Parliament by sponsoring the Speaker of the House of Representatives Act 2014 and supporting Treasury reform.
Campaigns
Eritoshi released her electoral platform in the form of a manifesto for the Green Party, which was released on the day of the party's foundation, 14 February. The manifesto advocated replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources, protecting biodiversity, maintaining local decision-making power in the form of Town Councils, and expanding international recognition of the Empire while maintaining GUM membership.
Hewitt published a campaign Facebook page on 10 February, but no substantial content came until the posting of her official campaign website on 20 February. The website included a letter by Hewitt to Austenasians, a brief biography about her, and a set of platforms. Some of her platforms echoed the environmental policies of the Green Party, going further to advocate the strengthening of the Environmental Office. Her proposed policies also included subsidising new Austenasian businesses, establishing a Ministry for Culture, and changing the way the Emperor appoints Cabinet members to be based on the Prime Minister's binding advice. Leading up to the election, the campaign Facebook page posted several times, reaching up to 16 people a post.
Voting
Polling began at midnight, 3 March, and remained open for 24 hours. Representatives compiled the votes of their Town's subjects and reported the results to the Secretary-General. Non-residential Subjects were able to cast their votes directly with the Secretary-General or Emperor.
Results
| Town | Turnout | HIH Lady Dux Brooke Hewitt, Countess of Greater Richmond | HIH Eritoshi, Countess of Memphis | Abstain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wrythe | 100% | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Zephyria | 33.33% | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Thanasia | 100% | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Palasia (and Caldari) | 100% | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Lichtenstein | 100% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Porthbokon | 100% | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| New Richmond | 100% | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Shineshore | 100% | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Terentia | 75% | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Harenfall | 100% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Non-residential subjects | 60% | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 85.4% | 28 | 9 | 4 |