Just a few observations.


While increasing the requirements modestly isn't a bad thing, putting a hard limit on the number of candidates on the ballot (as some have suggested) will be trivially gamed. Who needs to stuff the ballot box when you can just stuff the ballot itself?

For this reason, I would simply modestly tighten the current system that by requiring both a modest registration fee (a few PLEX)...

Good in theory, but this is how it is setup now and it isn't working.

Under this system, it is simple enough for an organized group of players to gather enough votes to put one or more of their candidates on the CSM, with the apparent intention of pushing their specific agenda...

Perhaps adding a specific purpose to each of the positions would go a long way to making the current system work for us better. Ultimately voting, by nature, is a majority rule system so there is really no reason to not keep the actual voting mechanic the somewhat the same.

CCP could specify each slot in the counsel for a specific gameplay archetype (examples include: Null Sec, Low Sec, High Sec, Wormholes, PvE, PvP, Industry, Role Play, etc) they are looking to have represented. You can ideally have as many CSM members as you would need and could also combine similar or related gameplay archetypes into a single candidacy slot (e.g.; Low Sec, Piracy, and Factional Warfare) to keep the overall slot numbers down. Each voter will vote for each candidacy slot based on who they think will fit best. Ideally this would also funnel CSM feedback and ideas to the proper channels post election.

Example guidelines for candidacy
- Candidates can only run for a single counsel slot.
- Only X amount of members from the same Alliance/Corporation can be on the ballad in any given slot.
- Only X amount of members from the same Alliance/Corporation can be on the counsel in any given slot.
- Each candidacy slot ballad will only have a maximum of X candidates.
- Candidates must prove that their knowledge, experience, and presence will add value to the counsel. (Example: Candidates must create some sort of work that could be approved by the current counsel, CCP, or a third party.)
- Only the top X number of players voted in go to Iceland and the rest attend via remote conference.

With this you could have an alternate for each position based on votes. In a case where the alternate would breach any of the candidacy guidelines above (specifically but not limited to the one regarding "Only X amount of members from the same Alliance/Corporation can be on the given counsel in any given slot" and any others that are ironed out after the system is iterated on) you would move to the next person as an alternate.

This would alleviate the potential for a single bloc to "Own" the entire counsel but still give them a well deserved presence on it as most large entities have what can be considered "SMEs" in most gameplay archetypes available in EVE Online (Like it or not, the truth is that these large entities form the core of most of the emergent gameplay seen in Eve Online as well as the core of what makes Eve Online, Eve Online). This allows for the elected to represent an area that is transparent to those he is representing and also provides a focal point to the person elected.

Granted this is a very basic and raw example of what could become solid building blocks making an already great CSM system better. I purposely left it as basic and vague as possible because itGÇÖs honestly not worth anyone putting a ton of capital in until the system is selected by someone who knows what they are doing to iterate on.

- How do you know that most of the CSM does't belong to the same bloc to begin with?
- CCP. the CSM, or a third party can help with screening the candidates not the voters. The consequences of candidates screwing with the CSM can be pretty severe.
- Answered previously, but yes...everyone gets to vote for every slot.
- Restrictions aren't placed on the voters. Restrictions are placed on the candidates.

- How do you know that most of the CSM does't belong to the same bloc to begin with?

What system could possibly be more fair than "the people with the most votes win the election"?

I really don't understand the issue here, are we really going to "re-invent" the election process so that it artificially represents some sort of "demographic" of players? If that's the case why even have an election at all? Why doesn't CCP simply pick who CSM members from various demographics and get it done with?

If your going to have an election, have an election. If your going to manipulate it via strange mathematical formulas to get some sort of desired result, than skip the bloody thing, and just create the result you want.

Realistically all it takes is The Mittani posting to the Goons telling them to vote for 14 candidates and you know that the Goons will all vote for those 14 candidates. Do you really want a system that promotes this?

Funnily enough CCP improve the game regardless of whether the CSM exists or not..

Future candidates should have a posting history on these official forums. This way we avoid totally inactive, non-community representatives from power blocks getting elected.

Yes, ~GD~ is what it is etc, but these forums are the formal means of being in touch with the player base, which in the end is what the CSM is all about.

Some current CSM members have shown excellent participation in discussions after getting elected, while those who didn't do it before, haven't done it after either.

I would like a system where i could have 2 votes:
- one for the player i want to ellect to the CSM.
- one for the player i don't want to ellect to the CSM (like a downvote)

I rewrote the second to last paragraph, so perhaps it is clearer now.

"Now I'm not suggesting that Goonswarm is going to stack the council with a tonne of null candidates, they can't really do that, the system is not that gameable. They're smarter than that, anyhow. They'll look at who is running and decide who they want to serve with. If they don't want Mike Azariah on the council, then Mike Azariah will not be on the council. Mynnna will be ranked first, obviously. Then I would imagine Ripard Teg, Marc Scaurus, Malcanis, Unforgiven Storm, whichever wormhole candidate they prefer, and maybe even James 315, will all be on the ranked voting list that Goons will supply to their members."