Georgeland presidential election, 2012
A presidential election was held in Georgeland on 4 May 2012.
The President of Georgeland is directly elected by universal adult suffrage for a four-year term. The election is held under a preferential or instant-runoff system in which voters rank candidates in their preferred order, with lower-polling candidates' votes transferring to higher-scoring candidates. The President is the constitutional head of state and has broad executive powers, but by convention and some constitutional restraint, only acts with the consent of the elected government, except under a few specific circumstances. In practice the president is a figurehead.
Incumbent president Lois Daniels chose not to seek a second term despite approval ratings in excess of 70%. Daniels cited a desire to make the presidency a one-term office, saying she hoped her stepping down would create a precedent and avoid a dynastic approach to the office. Daniels had been elected in 2008 and had been a popular figure, so her decision not to seek re-election was as unexpected as it was controversial.
Eight candidates ultimately filed to run, five of whom represented political parties and three of whom were independents. Eileen Purves, the Liberal Democratic candidate, was elected with 37% of the vote, with Conservative Nathan Hunter in second place. Purves was sworn into office on 1 July.
Candidates
Liberal Democratic Party of the United Islands
- Eileen Purves, former Mayor of New Kikipolis (1987-1993)
The Liberal Democrats chose their nominee at a special party convention on January 23. Three candidates contested the nomination. Purves won the nomination on the first ballot. Her opponents were:
- John Rattan, Secretary of the LDP from 2007 to 2009 and a party operative. A former union official and Labour activist, Rattan has never held electoral office but has a strong following inside the party.
- Mike Socic, former (short-term) Chief Minister of Delmago Island. Socic announced his campaign on November 19, 2010.
Conservative Party of Georgeland
- Nathan Hunter, former Mayor of Santa Christina (1984-1988). Hunter announced his campaign on October 20, 2010.
The deadline for nominations having been reached, as the only candidate to have qualified for the ballot under party rules, Hunter was declared the Conservative candidate on January 5.
Georgeland Alliance
- Janet Riddington, Senator from the Federal District (1995-2008), who defected to the Alliance from the LDP in 2006, declared she would seek the Presidency on November 23, 2010.
On January 7, Georgeland Party officials declared Riddington the party's nominee for president unopposed.
Green Party of Georgeland
- Martin Harrod, actor and conservationist, announced on October 16, 2011 that he would again seek to be the Green candidate. He did not have serious opposition within the party.
National Front
- Party president and leader Iain Langley was unopposed as the National Front's candidate.
Independent
- Rebecca Williams, the Governor of Bradmarch since 2008, declared her candidacy as an independent on October 14, 2011.
- Ken Hollis, former CEO of Seacove Mining, declared his candidacy on 31 October 2010.
Opinion polls
Prior to her announcement she would not run, President Daniels had an approval rating in excess of 70%. Recent polls have indicated a general lack of enthusiasm for the election, and most polls suggested a low turnout was likely. In a Gallup poll of likely voters conducted in early January:
- 39% of LDP supporters said Purves would be their preferred candidate, with 32% supporting Socic and 11% Rattan.
- Regardless of the LDP nominee, 34% of voters said they would likely support the LDP candidate, with just 20% favouring Nelson, 17% Riddington, 19% Harrod and 10% another candidate or undecided.
- A hypothetical two-party result saw 62% favour the Liberal Democrat candidate (Socic or Purves) and 38% the Tory or Alliance candidate.
- 29% of those surveyed said they believed the President should not come from the government or opposition parties.
Campaign
Results
First count
| Candidate (Party) | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Eileen Purves (Liberal Democrat) | 4,775,287 | 37 |
| Nathan Hunter (Conservative) | 3,062,412 | 23.7 |
| Janet Riddington (Georgeland Alliance) | 1,427,396 | 11 |
| Martin Harrod (Green Party) | 1,881,566 | 14.6 |
| Iain Langley (National Front) | 480,124 | 3.7 |
| Rebecca Williams (Independent) | 700,721 | 5.4 |
| Ken Hollis (Independent) | 311,431 | 2.4 |
| Lou Lissaman (Independent) | 259,526 | 2.0 |
| TOTAL | 12,898,463 |
Final count
| Candidate (Party) | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Eileen Purves | 7,521,254 | 58.3 |
| Nathan Hunter | 5,377,206 | 41.7 |