Election Time! Get out the Vote for CSM 13

The annual stuffing of virtual ballot boxes kicked off today at 12:00 UTC

The time to vote is now

CCP has a post up with instructions and links as to how to vote.  If you want to go straight to voting you can go here and login.  Or if you want to see the candidates, the official list is here, but I would recommend a visit to CSM Wire for a more detailed look.

As for who to vote for, that is always the question.  We got our first look at the candidates back at EVE Fanfest almost two month back.  Since then they have had time to campaign.

The CSM13 candidate list

The ballot will present you with 47 candidates in a random sort order.  But who should you vote for?  That is always the question.

Greasy pole political metaphor in stair form

I thought this year I would list out the candidates by where they call home, just to see who represents what.  Even with a reduction in the number of candidates this year, I still don’t recognize most of them, even some in my coalition.

These lists are based on what organization the candidate calls home for the most part.  They can say whatever they want on their platform, but this is where they are from.  Those with an asterisk are CSM12 incumbents.

Null Sec – 31 Candidates

• Afropty – Darkness
• Aryth* – Goonswarm Federation
• aspecialpinecone – Iron Armada
• bastet 666 – Legion of xXDEATHXx
• Bei ArtJay – Unspoken Alliance
• Brisc Rubal – The Initiative
• Cacique Yuhasz – TEST
• Carbon Alabel – CVA
• Commander Aze – The Bastion
• Creecher Virpio – TEST
• Cwittofur Cesaille – Da Imbalance
• Damian Blackie – Fraternity
• Innominate* – Goonswarm Federation
• Jin’taan* – TEST
• Kali Omega – Chaos Theory
• Killah Bee – NCDot
• Malakai Asamov – NCDot
• Mawderator – Snuffed Out
• Merkelchen – Goonswarm Federation
• Otto Bismarck – Tactical Supremacy
• Parobro – Chaos Theory
• Raphendyr Nardieu – Suddenly Content
• Solar Taranogas – The Watchmen
• Sort Dragon* – Darkness
• Sullen Decimus – The Bastion
• The Judge* – Goonswarm Federation
• The Ludocrat – Goonswarm Federation
• Tikktokk Tokkzikk – Pandemic Legion
• Winter duFallen – Pandemic Horde
• Xenuria – Goonswarm Federation
• ZepWunderbar – Tactical Narcotics Team

While there may be 17 fewer candidates than there were last year, the numbers from 0.0 space seem as strong as ever.  Clearly null sec still believes that the CSM is important.  Or maybe it is that people who go to play our there enjoy diplomacy, deals, and sandbox politics.  But if you used you’re votes at random you would be more likely than not to vote for somebody who calls null sec their home.

Wormhole – 5 Candidates

• Arielle en Distel – Signal Cartel
• Claevyan – Surrounded by Wormholes
• ExookiZ – Scary Wormhole People
• Razorblade92 – Stranger Danger
• Tifida – Outlaws

Not so many from wormhole space, but at least Signal Cartel is on the list.

Low Sec – 5 Candidates

• Chainsaw Plankton – FaDoyToy
• Kalen Tsero – Kalen Tsero
• Saint Michaels Soul – Villore Accords
• Silver Suspiria – Federation Uprising
• Suitonia* – The Felines of the Egg of the Lisa

Low sec is always a strange beast, being in empire space and having factional warfare.  But it still gets a few candidates every year wanting to step up to represent it.

High Sec – 4 Candidates

• Eurzadahn – Ikusaro
• Lorelei Ierendi – Lorelei for C S M
• Steve Ronuken* – Fuzzwork Enterprises
• Syncopee Farnsworth – The Architects

High sec remains an outpost of the solo player, where it is hard to build a power base for an election.  While I haven’t done a head to head comparison, it feels like this is where the candidate list fell off a bit when compared to last year.

Other – 2 Candidates

• Jaha Preynar – EVE University
• Vincent Eneticum – Deep Core Mining Inc

I was not sure where to put these two since their organization didn’t really match or had changed since their candidacy was announced.

Anyway, that is my attempt to break out the candidate list in some meaningful way.  Again, if you wish to research the candidates in detail and read/hear their own words, the CSM Wire site has candidates information, statements, and links to interviews.

My own personal view is to beware the single issue candidate.  In watching from afar and talking to a few CSM members at EVE Vegas, a candidate going in with very narrow goals thinking they are going to change the game are likely to be ineffective.  As has been discussed before, the CSM lacks agency.  They cannot DO anything and CCP is free to ignore them, which they have demonstrated their willingness to do in the past.  CCP has referred to the CSM as a “governing body” previously (see the EVE Online timeline), but that is nonsense.  On a good day the CSM is a focus group with enough experience with the game to point out issues with CCP’s plans.  But I’ve been a critic of the idea of players electing the CSM since the idea was announced a decade back.

And so it goes.

Meanwhile, over in the Imperium we have been given our marching orders, with the recommended ballot posted yesterday.

1. Aryth
2. Merkelchen
3. Innominate
4. The Judge
5. Brisc Rubal
6. Mawderator
7. Sullen Decimus
8. Commander Aze
9. Jin’Taan
10. Steve Ronuken

I will be voting that in the name of self-interest, which is the same reason anybody votes.

The Imperium has enough voting power that the first two are pretty much a given to be elected unless something goes seriously wrong.  Innominate has a decent chance of returning to the CSM as well.  After that, however, candidates had best have a support base outside of the coalition in order to keep them in the running.  Jin’Taan and Steve Ronuken are very likely to make the cut as well, having their own support base elsewhere, which leaves six seats in question.

Anyway, the election ends on June 11 at 12:00 UTC.  You must vote by then or you won’t get to vote at all.  All Omega accounts can vote, so it you have multiple accounts subscribed you can log in each one and cast a ballot.

Finally, one last plug for the CSM Wire site if you want to do some candidate research.