You might already be aware, or perhaps this is new to you, but either way, it's worth diving into: In Liberland, the primary method for enacting any decision or legislation is through a referendum of all citizens.

The Referendum System in Liberland

Liberland's referenda are rooted in our draft Constitution and Referendum Law. These documents are currently considered "drafts" because they will only gain legal force once adopted in a future referendum. However, we are already using them to build essential infrastructure, such as the Liberland Blockchain.

We have two types of referenda: the powerful positive referendum and the auxiliary negative referendum.

Meritocratic Referendum

A meritocratic referendum is used to adopt, reject, or modify any law, regulation, or government decision. Here’s how it works:

Who can vote? All citizens who have at least 5000 politically pooled Liberland merits (LLM) can participate.

How to vote:

1. Be an onboarded citizen.
2. Visit blockchain.liberland.org.
3. Navigate to "Voting/Referenda".
4. Select the referendum and vote "Aye" (yes) or "Nay" (no).
5. Ignore the prompt about voting weight.

Congratulations! You’ve just voted in a meritocratic Liberland referendum.

If you change your mind, you can vote again. For the price of a transaction (a few cents), your vote will be updated. You can participate in multiple referenda simultaneously. Each referendum lasts for 7 days, after which votes are tallied. The measure remains pending for another 7 days to prepare Liberland for enactment.

Meritocratic Referendum can also be about repealing or amending laws or regulations. It proposes, “posits”, changes.

Vote Counting: Votes are tallied based on politically pooled LLM, not headcount. Since unpooling LLM takes time, holding them shows your commitment to Liberland. Citizen referenda require a variable threshold for acceptance depending on how many LLM have been cast. Where all would be cast, the threshold would be 50 per cent plus one LLM.

Congress referenda all require exactly 50 per cent plus one LLM cast to be adopted.

Proposing a meritocratic referendum: Any citizen can propose a referendum, but it will face a higher acceptance threshold to prevent ad hoc populist measures. For a smoother process, ask your Member of Congress to propose it on your behalf.

Democratic Veto

Why have a democratic veto when a meritocratic referendum can do almost everything? The key difference lies in its process and purpose.

For international political reasons, we must demonstrate a "headcount" democracy with free and equal elections. Since real political power in Liberland rests with referenda, we need headcount referenda for certain actions.

Types of Democratic Veto:

1. Public Veto: Removes any legislative measure (laws, regulations, etc.) enacted by the Government.
2. Dismissal: Removes any official or agent (employee) from office.

As the name suggests, a democratic veto is about removing something or someone from office.

How to vote:

1. Go to blockchain.liberland.org
2. Click on "Legislation".
3. Choose a type (in the top menu); e.g. Law, International Treaty.
4. Show section.
5. Find the section you want to veto.
6. Click “Cast Veto”.

Tallying the vote:

1. The referendum remains active indefinitely.
2. The Aye (repeal, dismiss) side wins only when 50 per cent plus one voter (not LLM) vote for it.
3. The Nay side never "wins", it is happy for as long as the legislation remains in effect.
4. Until this threshold is reached, the referendum remains in force.

Get Involved!

Are you a citizen but not onboarded yet? Please onboard today!
Not a citizen yet but wishing to become one? Contact us at [email protected].