Senate Debates Issue of Voting in Occupied Territories

Villore - As the Federation presidential elections draw closer, the issue of voting rights for citizens of occupied systems has been raised by the Senate. Debate over the issue consumed much of the Senate's deliberations today.

Senators from occupied space, led by a coalition of senators from the Placid region, have strongly pressed that elections still be held as normal in the occupied systems, despite the logistical difficulties. According to the senators, their constituents are highly invested in the upcoming election, which will dictate the future face of Federation politics and its stance toward the ongoing war with the Caldari State. The senators proposed several methods of holding the elections in the occupied systems, such as requesting the neutral assistance of the Servant Sisters of EVE, holding secret balloting, and other covert methods.

Political experts, invited to the Senate assembly to weigh in on the subject, raised numerous issues with the prospect, leading to the formation of a strong opposition to any plans. "The task of collecting, tallying, and verifying votes would be nigh-impossible with the continued communications blockade  enforced by the Caldari State on occupied systems," noted veteran election organizer Fitale Jean. "That is to say nothing of ensuring that voters are aware of who they're voting for and the high possibility of fraud."

Despite the experts' recommendations, the legality of an election where a portion of the populace was denied the right to vote remains murky. The Senate broke session without coming to a conclusion, but the debate is expected to resume in the following days.