SAMPLE BALLOT¶

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 7 (Single-Member)¶

General Election - November 5, 2030¶

INSTRUCTIONS: STAR Voting (Score - Then - Automatic - Runoff)¶

This district elects 1 Representative to the United States House of Representatives.

How to Vote:

Give your favorite candidate(s) five stars (⑤)
Give your least favorite candidate(s) zero stars (⓪) or leave blank
Score other candidates as desired based on your level of support
You may give the same score to multiple candidates
Equal scores indicate equal support

How Your Ballot is Counted:

Scoring Round: Your scores are totaled for each candidate. The two candidates with the highest total scores become finalists.
Automatic Runoff: Your full vote goes to whichever finalist you scored higher. The finalist preferred by more voters wins the election.

This two-step process ensures the winner has both high overall support (scoring round) and majority preference (runoff).

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - GENERAL ELECTION¶

Congressional District 7 - 1 seat

Rate each candidate from 0 to 5 stars

Candidate	Party Registration	Party Endorsements	FCAO Exam	Rating (Worst → Best)
Kevin Patterson	Libertarian	Libertarian, Forward	94%	⓪ ① ② ③ ④ ⑤
Lisa Nguyen	Democratic	Democratic, Working Families	93%	⓪ ① ② ③ ④ ⑤
Rebecca Thompson	Democratic	Democratic	91%	⓪ ① ② ③ ④ ⑤
Alexandra Santos	none	Independent	89%	⓪ ① ② ③ ④ ⑤
Marcus Williams	Republican	Republican	87%	⓪ ① ② ③ ④ ⑤
Daniel Carter	Republican	Republican	82%	⓪ ① ② ③ ④ ⑤
Michelle Robinson	Democratic	none	85%	⓪ ① ② ③ ④ ⑤
Raymond Cruz	Green	Green, Working Families	88%	⓪ ① ② ③ ④ ⑤
Christopher Hayes	Republican	none	78%	⓪ ① ② ③ ④ ⑤

CANDIDATE INFORMATION¶

Kevin Patterson¶

Party Registration: Libertarian | Party Endorsements: Libertarian, Forward | FCAO Exam: 94%

Constitutional law attorney and civil liberties advocate. Highest FCAO score among all candidates. Priorities include individual freedom, limited government, criminal justice reform, and ending qualified immunity. Opposes government overreach across all policy areas.

Coalition Support: Forward Party endorsement signals appeal to reform-minded voters beyond traditional Libertarian base.

Lisa Nguyen¶

Party Registration: Democratic | Party Endorsements: Democratic, Working Families | FCAO Exam: 93%

Public school teacher and education policy advocate with 15 years classroom experience. Priorities include education funding, teacher pay, student mental health services, and expanding career technical education. Second-highest FCAO score.

Coalition Support: Working Families Party endorsement indicates strong labor and progressive coalition support.

Rebecca Thompson¶

Party Registration: Democratic | Party Endorsements: Democratic | FCAO Exam: 91%

Former prosecutor and state legislator with 12 years in public service. Focuses on criminal justice reform, public safety innovation, and government accountability. Advocates for evidence-based policy and bipartisan problem-solving.

Notable Position: More moderate than Nguyen on economic issues; emphasizes pragmatic governance and working across party lines.

Alexandra Santos¶

Party Registration: none | Party Endorsements: Independent | FCAO Exam: 89%

Healthcare administrator and patient advocacy director. Independent candidate focused on healthcare access, prescription drug costs, insurance reform, and rural healthcare infrastructure. Not affiliated with any political party.

Notable Position: True independent with no party registration or major party endorsement -- appeals to voters seeking alternatives to two-party system.

Marcus Williams¶

Party Registration: Republican | Party Endorsements: Republican | FCAO Exam: 87%

Small business owner and Chamber of Commerce president. Emphasizes economic development, reduced regulatory burden, and infrastructure investment. Supports public-private partnerships and workforce training programs.

Notable Position: Business-focused moderate Republican; emphasizes economic growth and practical solutions over social issues.

Daniel Carter¶

Party Registration: Republican | Party Endorsements: Republican | FCAO Exam: 82%

Retired military officer (Colonel, U.S. Army) and defense contractor executive. Focuses on national security, veterans affairs, border security, and military readiness. Emphasizes fiscal responsibility and strong national defense.

Notable Position: More conservative than Williams on foreign policy and immigration; strong appeal to veteran and military family voters.

Michelle Robinson¶

Party Registration: Democratic | Party Endorsements: none | FCAO Exam: 85%

Environmental engineer and clean energy entrepreneur. Emphasizes climate action, renewable energy development, environmental protection, and green jobs creation. Supports science-based environmental policy and sustainable development.

Notable Position: Registered Democrat but has not received party endorsement, possibly due to multiple Democratic candidates in the race. Strong appeal to climate-focused voters.

Raymond Cruz¶

Party Registration: Green | Party Endorsements: Green, Working Families | FCAO Exam: 88%

Organic farmer and sustainable agriculture advocate. Focuses on agricultural policy, environmental protection, food security, and rural economic development. Supports family farms, organic farming incentives, and climate-resilient agriculture.

Coalition Support: Working Families Party endorsement shows labor-environmental alliance; may draw progressive voters seeking alternative to Democratic candidates.

Christopher Hayes¶

Party Registration: Republican | Party Endorsements: none | FCAO Exam: 78%

Real estate developer and local planning commission member. Priorities include property rights, zoning reform, housing development, and reduced government regulation. Advocates for local control and limited federal intervention.

Notable Position: Registered Republican but did not receive party endorsement. Lowest FCAO score among all candidates. Appeals to property rights advocates and development interests.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR BALLOT¶

Party Registration vs. Party Endorsements¶

Party Registration (shown in the table): - Shows which party, if any, the candidate is registered with - Examples: Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, Green, none

Party Endorsements (shown in the table): - Shows which parties formally endorsed this candidate - Candidates may receive up to three endorsements - Some candidates may have no party endorsements

What the Endorsements Tell You:

Libertarian | Libertarian, Forward (Patterson) = Libertarian with additional Forward Party endorsement showing cross-coalition reform appeal
Democratic | Democratic, Working Families (Nguyen) = Democrat with progressive coalition support
Democratic | Democratic (Thompson) = Democrat with party endorsement only
Democratic | none (Robinson) = Registered Democrat but party chose not to endorse (or endorsed other candidates)
Republican | Republican (Williams, Carter) = Republicans with party endorsement
Republican | none (Hayes) = Registered Republican but party chose not to endorse
none | Independent (Santos) = True independent without party registration
Green | Green, Working Families (Cruz) = Green Party with labor coalition endorsement

Why Some Candidates Have No Endorsements:

Some registered party members (Robinson, Hayes) don't have their party's endorsement. This could mean: - The party chose to endorse different candidates from their party - The candidate is running without seeking party endorsement - Internal party disagreements over the candidate

This information helps you understand party dynamics and coalition relationships.

About the FCAO Exam¶

All candidates for federal office are required to take the Federal Candidate Assessment Office (FCAO) examination, which tests knowledge of:

U.S. Constitutional structure and principles
Federal government powers and limitations
Bill of Rights and civil liberties
Legislative, executive, and judicial branch functions
Historical context of American governance

The FCAO examination is a transparency mechanism, not a qualification barrier. No minimum score is required -- candidates scoring 0% may still run and serve if voters choose them. Scores are displayed on ballots to help voters assess candidates' understanding of constitutional governance and federal office responsibilities.

Candidates may retake the exam unlimited times, with only their highest score reported.

FCAO Exam Scores in This Election: - 90%+ (3 candidates): Patterson (94%), Nguyen (93%), Thompson (91%) - 85-89% (4 candidates): Santos (89%), Cruz (88%), Williams (87%), Robinson (85%) - 80-84% (1 candidate): Carter (82%) - Below 80% (1 candidate): Hayes (78%)

HOW STAR VOTING WORKS WITH MULTIPLE CANDIDATES¶

With nine candidates on this ballot, STAR voting ensures the winner has broad support -- not just a plurality of a fragmented vote.

The Two-Step Process¶

Step 1: Scoring Round - All your scores for all nine candidates are totaled across all ballots - The two candidates with the highest total scores become finalists - This ensures the finalists have broad appeal, not just intense support from a narrow base

Step 2: Automatic Runoff - Your ballot is examined to see which finalist you scored higher - Your full vote goes to that finalist - The finalist preferred by more voters wins the election - This ensures the winner has majority support between the top two

Why This Matters with Nine Candidates¶

Under the old plurality system, nine candidates would split the vote badly. A candidate could win with 15-20% support while 80-85% of voters preferred someone else.

STAR voting solves this: - Your honest scores all count toward determining the finalists - No vote-splitting -- supporting similar candidates doesn't hurt your side - The winner must be broadly acceptable -- high total scores require appeal beyond your base - Majority preference guaranteed -- the runoff ensures the winner beats the other finalist head-to-head

Example¶

Imagine your scores are: - Patterson: ⑤ (5 stars) - Nguyen: ④ (4 stars) - Cruz: ③ (3 stars) - Thompson: ③ (3 stars) - Santos: ② (2 stars) - Robinson: ② (2 stars) - Williams: ① (1 star) - Carter: ⓪ (0 stars) - Hayes: ⓪ (0 stars)

Scoring Round: All nine scores count toward determining the two finalists.

If Patterson and Nguyen are the finalists: Your vote goes to Patterson (you scored Patterson 5, Nguyen 4)

If Nguyen and Thompson are the finalists: Your vote goes to Nguyen (you scored Nguyen 4, Thompson 3)

If Thompson and Williams are the finalists: Your vote goes to Thompson (you scored Thompson 3, Williams 1)

Your ratings ensure your preferences count no matter which two candidates make the runoff.

WHY RATE ALL CANDIDATES?¶

Rating all nine candidates is important because:

You don't know who the finalists will be: Your scores for all candidates help determine which two advance to the runoff
Prevent unwanted outcomes: Rating candidates you oppose as ⓪ reduces their chances of becoming finalists
Express nuanced preferences: You can show different levels of support (or opposition) rather than just picking one
Ensure your runoff vote counts: When the two finalists are determined, your preference between them determines where your vote goes

You can't hurt your favorite by rating others! Your favorite getting ⑤ is absolute support. Rating others honestly only helps ensure acceptable candidates make the runoff.

CANDIDATE COMPARISON¶

By Party Registration¶

Democratic (3): Nguyen (endorsed + WF), Thompson (endorsed), Robinson (no endorsement)
Republican (3): Williams (endorsed), Carter (endorsed), Hayes (no endorsement)
Independent (1): Santos
Libertarian (1): Patterson (endorsed + Forward)
Green (1): Cruz (endorsed + WF)

By FCAO Exam Performance¶

90%+ (3 candidates): Patterson (94%), Nguyen (93%), Thompson (91%)
85-89% (4 candidates): Santos (89%), Cruz (88%), Williams (87%), Robinson (85%)
Below 85% (2 candidates): Carter (82%), Hayes (78%)

By Coalition/Endorsement Pattern¶

Cross-party coalition: Patterson (Libertarian + Forward), Cruz (Green + Working Families)
Progressive coalition: Nguyen (Democratic + Working Families)
Single party endorsement: Thompson (Dem), Williams (Rep), Carter (Rep), Santos (Ind)
No endorsement: Robinson (Dem registered), Hayes (Rep registered)

By Issue Focus¶

Civil Liberties/Reform: Patterson
Education: Nguyen
Criminal Justice/Public Safety: Thompson
Healthcare: Santos
Business/Economic Development: Williams
National Security/Veterans: Carter
Climate/Environment: Robinson, Cruz
Property Rights/Housing: Hayes

POSSIBLE RUNOFF SCENARIOS¶

With nine candidates, many runoff combinations are possible. Here are some likely scenarios:

Reform vs. Progressive: Patterson vs. Nguyen - Tests whether voters prioritize civil liberties/limited government or education/worker protections - Both have highest FCAO scores; represents clear ideological choice

Democratic Runoff: Nguyen vs. Thompson - Tests whether Democratic-leaning voters prefer progressive (Nguyen) or moderate (Thompson) approach - Both endorsed Democrats, but different coalitions

Traditional Partisan: Thompson vs. Williams (or Nguyen vs. Williams) - Classic Democratic vs. Republican contest - Tests district's overall partisan lean

Environmental Focus: Cruz vs. Robinson - Both emphasize climate/environment but from different party bases - Tests appetite for Green Party vs. Democratic environmentalism

Independent Breakthrough: Santos vs. any partisan candidate - Tests voter appetite for true independent, non-partisan governance

Your ratings for all nine candidates will help determine which scenario unfolds and who wins.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE ELECTION¶

The winner of this election will represent Congressional District 7 in the U.S. House of Representatives for a two-year term beginning January 3, 2031.

Under the Federal Elections Modernization Act, the representative will: - Serve in a 545-member House (expanded from 435 under the Act's biennial expansion schedule) - Represent approximately 615,000 constituents - Work within a reformed Congress with enhanced member resources and professional development support

VOTE BOTH SIDES OF BALLOT
Turn ballot over for additional races →

This is a mock ballot created for educational purposes to demonstrate STAR Voting in general elections for single-member districts, Joint Endorsement Lists, and Federal Candidate Assessment Office (FCAO) examination requirements as proposed in the Federal Elections Modernization Act (FEMA).

📄 Download this document (opens on GitHub -- click the ⬇ download button)

Prepared by:
Albert E. Ramos
Director, The American Policy Architecture Institute