Fortressian Elections

Though the Princess has an active role in the day-to-day running of the Pillow Fortress far beyond what is typical for the monarchs in other states, she is neither an absolute monarch nor a dictator. Power is shared between her and the citizenry through the practice of Fortressian elections as established in the Constitution and under such restrictions as are implicitly authorized in articles VI, VII, and VIII of the State Charter. The ability to vote is open to all Pillowans age 18 and older, while the ability to run for office is strictly regulated, with the members of the Libertine Party having an exclusive monopoly on candidates for all but a small handful of local officials. Fortressian elections thus serve less as a means of direct governance, but rather to "gauge the mood" of the citizenry. This ensures that the people's needs are met and their interests served while at the same time the Pillow Fortress's causes and purposes are not derailed, nor are long term policies subject to rapid alteration in accordance with short term popular whim.

Directory Elections

The Directory is the branch of government in which the vast majority of elections take place, with the representatives of all three advisory councils being subject to popular vote in some manner, if indirect.

Council of Labor elections

The membership in the Council of Labor consists of a slate of guilds which is legally defined and therefore there are no elections at the level of the Council, but rather, elections take place within the guilds to determine the policies the guilds will agitate for and who from among the guild's members will serve in the day-to-day operation of the Council. As with all members of the Directory, these individuals who work on behalf of their guild must also be members of the Libertine Party.

Council of State elections

The 120 seats of the Council of State are elected every three years, with the entirety of the Principality serving as the electoral constituency. Each citizen may vote for up to six candidates on the ballot, and the X number of candidates with the most votes are thus elected to fill the X number of vacant seats. Typically elections are held in a staggered fashion, taking place each year with 40 seats available.

Council of Territory elections

Each of the Principality's first level administrative divisions receives an equal number of seats on the Council of Territory. The elections are carried out through a system of single transferrable voting, with the three candidates who receive the most votes becoming that division's representatives on the Council. All candidates running in a division must be residents of that division, likewise so too must voters.

Provincial and Municipal Elections

Additional elections take place at both the provincial and municipal levels, both notable for the acceptance of candidates from outside the Libertine Party.

Provincial Advisory Committee elections

Each provincial government has an elected advisory committee which speaks on behalf of the province's citizens to its leaders in order to make the people's wants and needs known. These advisory committees are not legislatures, and cannot pass law or directly sanction or dismiss any member of the provincial government, though they may petition the Council of Territory to appoint a different provincial administrator.

Mayoral elections

The leader of a municipal government is the mayor, who is elected by and from among the residents of the municipality. Typically, the powers of the mayor are limited, receiving both generalized oversight from both the canton governing board which is responsible for all population centers within their area of responsibility, and to a overseer within the municipal government appointed by the provincial administrator. Unlike the mayor, this municipal overseer must be a member of the Libertine Party.

Intra-Party Elections

Elections also occur at all levels of the Libertine Party, and even within some of its subordinate organizations.

State elections

The Libertine Congress occurs every six years to elect the members of the Politburo, accept or reject any provisional changes made to the Party's bylaws, or amend the Party's constitution. Voting is done by both delegates from the various local party chapters and by designated Party factions. The local party chapter delegations and the representatives of the factions are themselves elected by the members of the local party chapter and by the members of the faction, respectively.

Local Party Committee elections

The leadership organ of a local party chapter is its Party Committee, which is elected by members of the chapter, and which in turn selects one of its own to serve as the local party chair, who runs the chapter day-to-day.