NET
Moreland and Lee advance to the second round of councillor elections
The results come as a shock victory for the far-right Harmony party
November 1, 2024
In a shocking twist, Bernard Lee, the councillor candidate for the far-right Harmony Party, has placed second in the councillor election. Lee, who has run on a campaign of abolishing the 2017 Capital and Unusual Punishment Act, received 21.92% of the vote, surpassing centre-right candidate Michelle Cavalier by just 770 votes. He won in Montgomery, claimed Northern Counties and the Midlands, and made unexpected gains in Forecoaster and Port Nelson.
In first place was Wilko Moreland, the candidate for the Congress for Social Democracy and the Green Party of Elthize, with 22.03% of the votes, just 855 votes ahead of Lee. After the results were announced, Moreland addressed supporters, urging all parties in Elthize to “stand against the threat of far-right politics.” Moreland dominated in the left-wing strongholds of St. Lucas, Marchand, and Brownell, as well as succeeding in Ackerson, Elthize’s northernmost province.
With no candidate reaching the 40% needed to secure a victory, Elthize will hold a second round of voting, with Moreland and Lee on the ballot.
Candidate
Political party
Amount of votes
Percentage (%)
Status
Wilko Moreland
Congress for Social Democracy, Green Party of Elthize
173,814
22.03%
Advanced to second round
Bernard Lee
Harmony
172,959
21.92%
Advanced to second round
Michelle Cavalier
Progressive Conservative Party, Democrats for Elthize, Business Party
172,189
21.82%
Eliminated
Damon Albert
Moderates
145,762
18.46%
Eliminated
Pamela Akamatsu
Democratic Socialists for Elthize, Communist Party of Elthize
114,521
14.52%
Eliminated
Aminata Ejiro-Tolbree
Elfiz Party
88,653
11.22%
Eliminated
Love Nygaard
Independent
53,019
6.71%
Eliminated
Michelle Cavalier, supported by the Progressive Conservative Party, Business Party, and Democrats for Elthize, expressed her disappointment on LNN, saying she found the result “heartbreaking.” She added, “Well, it’s hard not to get emotional when it's this close.” as she learned she’d miss the chance to represent Elthize in Europolis. Regardless, she received the most votes in Forecoaster.
With three of the seven approved candidates endorsed by UnitedLeft parties, rumors sparked about divisions within the alliance. Pamela Akamatsu, candidate for the Democratic Socialists of Elthize and the Communist Party of Elthize, took fifth place with 14.52%. She explained that UnitedLeft parties “peacefully agreed” to field separate candidates.
On social media, Akamatsu, who is of partial Yosainese descent, claimed that bigotry has affected her campaign. “It’s a knife when a good chunk of the country you’ve lived your whole life doesn’t consider you ‘Elthic enough’ to be its European councillor,” she posted on social media. Despite her fifth-place finish, the combined support for DSE and CPE came close to UnitedLeft’s share from the general election earlier this year (14.52% vs 16.31% respectively). The last candidate of an UnitedLeft party, Aminata Ejiro-Tolbree, who represented the Elfiz Party, won 11.22% of the vote and carried the Southern Counties.
Damon Albert, the interim councillor and candidate for the Moderates, placed fourth with 18.46% of the vote, winning Liamville and Port Nelson. Following the results announcement, he immediately endorsed Moreland. Meanwhile, Love Nygaard, a popular TV personality and the only independent candidate to gather enough support to be on the ballot, finished last with 6.71%.
Results map
Map of the 2024 councillor elections (first round). Red = Moreland, Purple = Lee, Blue = Cavalier, Orange = Albert, Dark Red = Akamatsu, Gray = Ejiro-Tolbree. Nygaard did not win any province or district.
There was a significant drop in turnout compared to 2023 councillor elections, with only 22.7% of the available voters voting in this election, compared to 52.2% last year. The drop in turnout is attributed to the relative inactivity in the city of Europolis and the European Council. "There is no point in electing someone to an institution that has effectively stood still in the past twelve months. Congratulations to our future paycheck stealer," said Frances Irving, a former journalist for The Tribunal.
The second round of the councillor elections will take place on November 8th. The elected councillor is expected to hold his position until July 4, 2027, the latest date when the next general election can be held.
