Black Starwalkers/Elections

The Black Starwalkers traditionally have had no elections within itself during it's founding and subsequent months, as there were not nearly enough members within it's autocratic rule. Starting on November 29th, 2024, following more members joining, ZJTrayGamingYT decided to establish an election process for the Black Starwalkers for themselves to bring who they want to lead them under him. Since then, two Election Seasons have occurred regarding the election of Generals within the Black Starwalkers, one public and one private.

How the Election Process Works

The Election Process is a series of phases that starts from ZJTrayGamingYT and the current Generals deciding who they believe should become the next Generals, and ends with a Candidate being properly coronated and elected; with the entire process being a large community event for the Black Starwalkers. Here's a breakdown of how it works, phase by phase.

Pre-Season

The Pre-Election Season time period is pretty much every single day and month that isn't a part of an Election Season, and is the default time period that the Black Starwalkers work within. This is more of a passive time period compared to the Election Season itself.

In relevance to the Election Process, ZJTrayGamingYT and the current Generals spend this time usually looking at who's working the hardest and who fits the criteria to potentially become a General in the future; keeping tabs on Members who are working hard and above and beyond what is expected of them, and theorize who would be good candidates for General.

The Election Season

The Election Season traditionally comprises of an eighteen to twenty day period (depending on which months it is done within) within the end of one month and the first half of another, where two Members of the Black Starwalkers are chosen by ZJTrayGamingYT and the current Generals to become the next set of Generals that help leading the group. Election Seasons are not bound to a particular time period, and can be done every two months (two months from the day the Election Season ends), but have traditionally been done every end of November into the middle of December.

The Election Season has six Phases:

Finalization
Candidacy
Announcement
Campaign
Voting
Certification and Coronation

Finalization

The Finalization Phase is the first phase, and the phase that concludes the Pre-Season, and officially starting the Election Season proper.

At the end of the first month chosen within the Election Season, typically on the 29th (or the 30th on days with 31 months, or the 27th within February on Leap Years), ZJTrayGamingYT and the current Generals officially finalize their picks of Candidates that they spent the Pre-Season considering.

If the group has very little members within it, Candidates for Generals are not usually picked. In the past, despite low Member counts, a General candidate was once picked, and it became more of a private voting event reserved for Generals only. This is not done anymore, but exists just in case the Black Starwalkers need new leadership in the event of there being no more Generals, or something along the lines of a small Member count.

Candidacy

The Candidacy Phase is the second phase, and is the penultimate step before the Election Season is publicly started.

Typically on the same day the Finalization Phase begins and ends, the Candidates chosen will be spoken to by ZJTrayGamingYT, who informs them of how they were chosen to be the picked Candidates. It is a huge honor to actually be chosen to be a Candidate, as it means that the Generals and ZJTrayGamingYT have personally chosen that Member to help lead and represent the group.

After being informed, the chosen Members have two options, either:

Accepting the Candidacy

or

Declining the Candidacy

Accepting/Declining

Accepting the Candidacy means that the chosen Member accepts, respects, and is appreciative of the choice made by the higher-ups of the Black Starwalkers, wishes to become a General themselves, and is willing to go through the public process of the Election Season to acquire said role. After this is done, the Announcement Phase begins.

Declining the Candidacy means that the chosen Member denies, but still respects and honors the choice made by the higher-ups of the Black Starwalkers, but does not wishes to become a General themselves, or doesn't wish to go through the public process of the Election Season to acquire said role. If only one of the chosen Members declines, another Candidate is simply chosen if possible. If both chosen Members decline, or if there is no other Member who can be a replacement Candidate, the Election Season ends there, and is postponed to start again with the Finalization Phase on the 29th (or the 30th on days with 31 months, or the 27th within February on Leap Years) of the following month. This is to allow for there to be more of a pool to pick from for potentially better Candidates.

If the Election Season is attempted twice in back to back months, and both times it is cancelled/postponed, it isn't postponed a third time. Instead, a two month time limit arises (the same time limit after a traditional Election Season ends), and the process is chosen to be started again when ZJTrayGamingYT and the Generals feel it is time for another Election Season.

Announcement

The Announcement Phase is the third phase, and the phase where the Election Season is publicly started.

On the final day of the first month chosen within the Election Season, typically on the 30th (or the 31st on days with 31 months, or the 28th within February on Leap Years), ZJTrayGamingYT officially announce the Candidates who are chosen for the position of the next General.

Both Candidates give opening statements, and the rest of the day will (hopefully) be a day that the community gathers an opinion about their candidates before the Campaign Phase starts.

Campaign

The Campaign Phase is the fourth, and the longest phase within the Election Season, lasting exactly half a month, or fifteen twenty-four hour days.

On the first day of the second month chosen on the Election Season, typically the 1st, the Campaign Phase is officially started at 12:00 AM EST, and lasts until the 15th of the same month, until 11:59 PM EST.

Within the Campaign Phase is, the Candidates need to attempt to convince and persuade the community and Generals within the Black Starwalkers why they deserve the position of General. This is usually done through interacting with the community, giving speeches promising things, contributing finances to the Group or it's Members directly, and or by doing lots of work and showing off the Candidate's skills and efficiency.

None of these are required methods to obtaining the community's choice in a particular Candidate becoming a General, but the idea is that the Candidate attempts to prove to the community through effort and a clear desire for the position, instead of just sitting and doing nothing.

Using as position as a Candidate to becoming a General to bash other Candidates for their ideas, for their character/person, or for any other reason, is strictly prohibited. In the event of this happening, Candidates will receive a strike after doing so, with the maximum amount being two total strikes. The first is a warning strike to dissuade this type of activity, and the second removes their Candidacy for the Election Season, instantly ensuring their opponent's victory. If a former Candidate who was removed from the race due to two Strikes becomes a Candidate in a future Election, and acquires a single strike, they will no longer be able to become Candidates for General, and if severe enough, could be kicked from the Black Starwalkers entirely.

Closing Statements

On the 15th, and final day of the Campaign Phase, around 11:50 PM EST, the two Candidates will give their closing statements. These statements are usually urging the community to vote for them, mentioning the things they did during the Campaign Phase and trying to gain favor from the community.

Voting

The Voting Phase is the fifth and penultimate phase within the Election Season, lasting exactly twenty-four hours.

On the 16th day of the second month chosen on the Election Season, at exactly 12:00 AM EST, the Campaign Phase is ended and the Voting Phase is started. Here, from 12:00 AM EST to 11:59 PM EST, all Members except ZJTrayGamingYT and the Candidates themselves are required to vote for a specific Candidate. Voting is mandatory within Election Season, and a failure to vote is seen as breaking Rule 4 of the Code, which could result in problems in the future for those that do not vote.

All voting information is private and can only be accessed by ZJTrayGamingYT himself, who is not voting and instead acts as the tally keeper; with only the totals of the Candidates' voting numbers being publicly listed.

The voting season can also end early if all votes are collected before 11:59 PM EST, and can end as early as 12 AM EST if all votes are submitted by then.

Certification and Coronation

The Certification and Coronation Phase is the sixth and final phase, and the phase that concludes the Election Season and results in the highest voted Candidate becoming the newest General.

Certification

The Certification part of the sixth and final Phase mainly consists of collecting all of the votes, and properly tallying them to figure out who won, and who didn't.

In the event of extreme circumstances, such as a battle or a war taking place on Voting Day, mass departure of members from the BSW, or an event that shakes the Black Starwalkers to their core, both Candidates are considered victorious, and are both appointed Generals, skipping the Certification part of the sixth and final Phase.

Coronation

The Coronation part of the sixth and final Phase is the ceremony where the victorious Candidate is announced, and is properly coronated as a General.

Coronations typically take place the day after the Voting Day, on the 17th of the second month within the Election Season, but that isn't a mandatory date. Coronations have to take place sometime within the second half of the second month, some time between the 17th and the 30th (or the 31st on days with 31 months, or the 28th within February on Leap Years), at whatever time is convenient for the victorious Candidate, ZJTrayGamingYT, and all existing Generals, so they can all show up.

Coronations themselves are traditionally a community event, where the community comes to celebrate the victorious Candidate's success in becoming promoted to becoming a General, and where the Black Starwalkers as a group and everything related to it are celebrated. It's meant to be a ceremony for the victorious Candidate, and a celebration of all things BSW.

After the celebration is started on the chosen date, and the community is enjoying themselves, ZJTrayGamingYT, the existing Generals, the victorious Candidate, and the community will head to the Elephant Room, the Black Starwalkers' meeting room within Nebulus. Current Generals reaffirm their pledge privately, and the victorious Candidate must now recite the proper pledge to the Black Starwalkers, and to ZJTrayGamingYT himself. This is said Pledge, click this to view it.

Let us begin the Coronation Ceremony.

What is your username?

{username}

When did you join the Black Starwalkers?

{date}

Do you understand the importance of the position you were nominated for, and were chosen for, by me, the Generals, and the people of the Black Starwalkers?

I do.

Good. Let us now proceed to the pledge.

Do you, {username}, solemnly swear, to be a representation of the Black Starwalkers, and the principles upon which we stand for?

I do.

Good. Do you, {username}, solemnly swear, to represent the the Black Starwalkers, both around me, and when I am unavailable?

I do.

Good. Do you, {username}, solemnly swear, to stand as a diplomat for the Black Starwalkers, and represent us within diplomatic situations if ever needed?

I do.

Good. Do you, {username}, solemnly swear, to lead the Black Starwalkers as a proxy leader when I am unavailable, leading in accordance to my will, and to not abuse this power I am bestowing upon you above your fellow man?

I do.

Good. Do you, {username}, solemnly swear, to evaluate all applications of players interested in joining the Black Starwalkers properly, making sure that they are a good fit for us as a group?

I do.

Good. Do you, {username}, solemnly swear, to assist me with plans and projects for the Black Starwalkers, and be a consultant for major things in relation to us that I am considering?

I do.

Good. Do you, {username}, solemnly swear, to engage with the community of your fellow man from which you were elevated from, and to be a role model for Members to take inspiration from?

I do.

Good. Do you, {username}, solemnly swear, to continue to be active and committed to the projects and plans of the Black Starwalkers to the best of your ability, despite gaining important responsibilities as a General?

I do.

Excellent. And finally, do you, {username}, solemnly swear, to continue to pledge your absolute loyalty to me and the Black Starwalkers, sticking with us through peace, through war, through insurrection, through turmoil, through persecution, through activity and inactivity, and through all things good and bad that can happen to us?

I do.

Good. I, ZJTrayGamingYT, founder and leader of our brotherhood known as the Black Starwalkers, a group born from persecution and one who shall become revered by the entirety of the Server, anoint you among the highest class of players within our organization below me. I anoint you to become a General of the Black Starwalkers, and to lead us to further greatness.

All hail the Black Starwalkers!

After the Pledge is properly recited, a chair within the Elephant Room is changed to be that of that victorious Candidate's new chair as a General, and they henceforth have the powers and responsibilities of a General.

List of Election Seasons

Below is a list of all Election Seasons that have taken place.

Election Season One

Campaigns Started on November 29th, 2024, 6:26 AM EST
Campaigns Ended on December 12th, 2024, 11:59 PM EST

Voting Period Started on December 13th, 2024, 12:00 AM EST
Voting Period Ended (early) on December 13th, 2024, 8:47 PM EST

Candidates chosen were MrClownPierce and retrorandom, applying to become Generals of the Black Starwalkers.

Total Electoral Votes Available: 9

Final Vote Tally:

MrClownPierce: 6
retrorandom: 3

Result:

Although MrClownPierce won the Election, due to a conflict the group had to face, both candidates were appointed to be Generals.

Election Season Two

Was a Private "Generals Only" Election (due to there only being one candidate), the candidate was observed for his skills from December 31st, 2024, to January 16th, 2025.

The candidate chosen was XeonProductions, chosen by ZJTrayGamingYT to potentially become a General of the Black Starwalkers.

Total Electoral Votes Available: 4