C.3(a). Grounds for Excusal from Civic Duty

Citizens may be excused from Civic Duty only for the following reasons:

1. Severe physical or mental disability that prevents them from serving, as confirmed by their personal doctor and a court-appointed doctor. If the two doctors disagree, the federal judge reviewing the petition decides.

2. Age seventy or older.

3. Legal custody of a child under twelve years old, and serving would leave the child without supervision.

4. High school students currently attending classes.

5. Employees of state or federal legislatures.

6. Primary caretakers of someone who cannot care for themselves, as determined by a federal judge.

7. Cannot understand English well enough to participate.

8. Active duty military service.

A federal district judge must review all excusal requests. Depending on how complex the request is, that review may be administrative, or it may require a hearing, or both. The judge will decide whether the Citizen meets the requirements. Citizens who are excused for temporary reasons may be called again when their situation changes.

No other reasons for excusal are allowed. Work obligations, business needs, or personal convenience are not grounds for excusal.

To the extent possible, excusal requests should be handled on a broad, categorical basis, rather than for each instance of civic duty. Petitions for excusal must be available for submission online as well as in person. When no reasonable means existed for advance notice of an absence, excusal can be requested after the fact. After the fact, excuses can consider a wider array of mitigating factors to address the unpredictability and inherent chaos of the real world. Still, they must first be truly unforeseeable, and second, truly have limited or impeded the citizen’s ability to participate in their duties.

C.3(a₁). Tracking Unexcused Civic Non-Participation. Within three months of ratification of this Charter, Congress must appoint a federal agency to develop an accessible database of Citizens who have unexcused absences from Civic Duties.

In every instance of unexcused absence, the overseeing agency (county elections office for election workers, etc.) must report the absence for entry into the database.

C.3(a₂). Enforcement of Civic Duty. At any time that a Person has at least two unexcused absences from Civic Duty, they may be charged with Failure to Fulfill a Civic Duty. If they reach four such absences, they must be so charged.