Bulletin.

With a final tally of two votes in favour, zero against and two non-votes, the Commission of Electoral Affairs is pleased to announce the successful passage of the 2024 referendum to amend the Constitution. This now raises the voting age and minimum age for election to the future Legislative Assembly from twelve to eighteen.

This announcement may also be found in the form of a gubernatorial decree and reflected in the latest version of the Crown Dependency's Constitution, available here. 

Separately, the Office of the Governing Commissioner wishes to congratulate Lord Andrew Creed on his election to Prime Minister of the Empire of Austenasia. New South Scotland looks forward to working with the Creed Administration as the Empire charts a path of reform. 

Bulletin. 

The previously-advertised referendum to increase the voting age from twelve to eighteen is now open to all New South Scottish citizens. 

Citizens wishing to understand the referendum in greater detail may read the first Commission of Electoral Affairs bulletin here. 

Citizens have the opportunity to vote via the below link until 2359hrs EAST, Tuesday 24 September 2024. 

The results of the referendum will be announced via gubernatorial decree.

Bulletin.

With the passage of the Gubernatorial Decree for a Constitutional Referendum to Increase the Voting Age 2024, the Commission of Electoral Affairs hereby announces a constitutional referendum for 24 September 2024. 

The Office of the Governing Commissioner has sought the proposed amendment to better reflect the older demography of the Crown Dependency following the 2024 citizenship audit.

Citizens will have an opportunity to vote via a link provided on this website on Tuesday 24 September 2024, until 2359hrs EAST.

In the wake of the 2020-2024 period of inactivity, the Office of  Governing Commissioner McFarlane KCA has unveiled three new gubernatorial decrees addressing some of the key areas of concern within New South Scotland.

According to a statement from the Governing Commissioner, "the overall intent of these refroms is to ensure that New South Scotland remains visibly active within the Empire of Austenasia, despite a reduced footprint".

Following proclamation of the new laws, New South Scotland will remain under the full executive control of the Governing Commissioner until at least nine citizens are admitted to the Crown Dependency. Elections to fill the Legislative Assembly will be held once this threshold is reached.

The decrees will also streamline New South Scotland's citizen base, ensuring inactive or uncontactable individuals are no longer counted as citizens of the Crown Dependency. The results of the 2020 constitutional referendum to lower the voting age to twelve have also been announced following the inactivity period, with the vote having been 70% in favour of the proposed change.

Among more minor changes, the decrees clarify administrative coding of legislation and judicial decisions, in addition to clarifying timezones and time formatting within New South Scotland.

The recent suite of decrees and amended constitution may be read here.

As New South Scotland's political culture roars to life, concerns that politically-active citizens beneath the age of fourteen will be excluded from the electoral process have prompted the announcement of a minor referendum by Governing Commissioner McFarlane KCA to lower the voting age to twelve. 

According to the Office of Governing Commissioner McFarlane KCA, the original age limits stipulated under the territorial constitution (limiting the voting age to 14) were set rather arbitrarily. This has created a situation of political exclusion within the Crown Dependency, with a minority of citizens precluded from voting in elections or being democratically appointed to the Legislative Assembly despite their intense interest in New South Scotland's political future. 

Following the proclamation of the 'Gubernatorial Decree for a Constitutional Referendum to Lower the Voting Age', the second decree to leave the Governing Commissioner's office, the referendum to effect these reforms has been set for the 6th of May (six days prior to the legislative elections). Citizens unable to vote during the 6th of May (UTC+10) are encouraged to contact the Commission of Electoral Affairs in order to arrange for early voting. 

Under the new decree, citizens between the ages of twelve and fourteen will be eligible to run in the upcoming legislative elections on a tentative basis. Should the referendum fail, any lists with citizens in this age category will be automatically modified to reflect the maintenance of the current constitutional framework.