CSM 18 Announcement & Key Dates
Diplomatic capsuleers,
CSM season is finally upon us! In our last CSM update, we informed you about the extended term for CSM 17 and its impact on CSM 18. Now, we are eager to share key dates for the CSM 18 elections, insights about the CSM 17 term, and an exciting update for the CSM! Let’s dive in!
Timeline
If you're new to CSM and the operations and functions it encompasses during elections, we encourage you to check out this page for more information.
Key dates:
1-15 August – Candidate submissions open
2-18 August – Application processing
23 August – Live candidate announcement
23 August – 3 September – Campaign period
4 September – 11 September – Voting period
22 September – CSM 18 Announcement, live at Fanfest
Serving on the CSM requires a tremendous commitment and even the most dedicated members need to take a break to recharge their capacitors. Following the announcement of three-year term limits at the start of the CSM 15 elections, current CSM members Brisc Rubal and Kenneth Feld will take a compulsory hiatus from the CSM and are not eligible to run for CSM 18. We thank Brisc and Kenneth for their contribution to the CSM and their assistance with onboarding the 7 new members of CSM 17 at the start of the term. They are welcome to run again for CSM 19 when their term limits reset if they feel the urge to return to space politics!
Timeline in Practice
Since we’ve made a few changes, it’s important to go over what this process means. In the candidate submissions process potential candidates will fill out the requisite application to become a CSM candidate (you can find the application requirements below). We will then evaluate your application within 72 hours and inform you of your eligibility. After you have been deemed eligible, you must create a campaign thread on the CSM section of the EVE Online forums. Then on the 23rd we will announce the finalized list of candidates which is when the campaign period kicks off in full.
During the campaign period we will host a series of candidate interview livestreams on the CCP TV Twitch channel. All candidates will be invited to sign up for a slot on one of the streams to have a chat with CCP about your campaign and introduce yourself to a wider audience. There will also likely be opportunities to be profiled or interviewed by various player-run EVE media. We encourage everyone to participate as fully as they can!
After the campaign period, the voting period begins on 4 September. The voting system remains unchanged, allowing voters to select up to 10 candidates using the Wright-STV voting system. And finally you can ring in your victory in person at Fanfest 2023 where we will announce the winners or from the comfort of your loungeroom on CCP TV.
Building on Success
CSM 17 welcomed seven new members, with only three carrying over from CSM 16. Despite this fresh influx, the new members have worked constructively with CCP and provided valuable feedback on numerous aspects of EVE development. We appreciate their vigilance in highlighting ongoing issues and bringing direct feedback from the players.
The CSM model has undergone many tweaks and adjustments over the years. A few examples include changes in term durations, the number of members on the council, roles within the CSM, voting methods, and term limits. In keeping with this tradition of innovation and iteration, we have a new update for CSM 18!
With several long-standing CSM members hitting their term limits at the end of CSM 16, CSM 17 brought along with it 7 brand new members to the council with only 3 carrying over from the previous iteration. With such a significant injection of new blood we thought it might take a while for everyone to get up to speed, but with the help of a robust onboarding period combined with guidance from the CSM veterans, our capable and enthusiastic new members hit the ground running! Since then CSM 17 has worked constructively and energetically with CCP and provided valuable feedback on numerous aspects of EVE development. As always, we appreciate their vigilance in highlighting ongoing issues and bringing direct feedback from the players.
The in-person CSM Summit also returned this term, where we brought the council to CCP HQ in Reykjavik, Iceland for a week of valuable face-to-face discussions with long days spent talking about EVE and its future. On the last day of the summit we flipped the script and invited members of the CSM to give presentations to us instead, and developers from all over CCP showed up to listen to their expert lectures across a variety of topics.
An Updated CSM Model
The CSM is an ever-evolving entity and over the years the CSM model has undergone many tweaks and adjustments. Term durations went from 6 months to 12 months, the number of members on the council has fluctuated significantly, roles like “chairperson” and “secretary” as well as having “main” and “alternate” members has given way to a flatter and less hierarchical structure. A change in voting system from first past the post to single transferable vote was implemented, term limits were added and on it goes. Change has been the one constant of the CSM and for the next council we want to continue this tradition of innovation and iteration.
With the return of expansions to EVE Online we can now plan even farther ahead for EVE's development, and this means we can better predict what kind of expertise would be useful to have on the CSM.
To take advantage of this, for CSM 18 we will expand the size of the CSM from 10 to 12 seats. 10 members will be directly elected as usual using the same campaign and voting process that the CSM has operated on for years.
Then, from the candidates who finished in the 11th to 20th positions, CCP will select two to join the 10 elected members, forming the new 12-member CSM 18.
Our selection will be based primarily on what areas of knowledge we perceive to be most valuable in the coming term based on our plans for EVE development. Operationally, there will be no distinction made between the 10 elected and 2 appointed members of the CSM.
This means that EVE players will get the benefit of having two additional experienced council members working for them with no reduction in voter agency. As the candidates eligible for selection will have come from a pool who made it quite far into the STV elimination process, they will be people who have significant support from the community, even if not *quite* enough to have been directly elected.
In short - the voters can still elect the CSM they want to represent them as they always have, and CCP (knowing a little bit more about the road ahead than we can tell the voters) can also invite a couple additional experts to the table.
During the course of CSM 18 we will evaluate how effective this new structure has been and then decide whether we will carry it into CSM 19 and beyond.
Application Requirements
Important disclaimer: incorrectly filed or incomplete submissions will be rejected. The rules are unambiguous, but we are happy to answer any questions if you are unsure about the process. You can send us an email at communityteam@ccpgames.com.
To be eligible for the CSM, applicants must meet the following requirements:
Your account must be older than 60 days at the time candidacy applications close.
Characters on both Alpha and Omega accounts are eligible to run.
You must have a history of honoring the EULA and the Terms of Service. We will screen every applicant thoroughly, and EULA/TOS violations on your record can result in a rejected application.
If you are unsure if you qualify, we strongly encourage you to apply early, as applications are now processed in 72 hours.
AFTER you receive confirmation that you have been greenlit as a candidate, you must create a campaign thread in the CSM section on EVE Online forums covering the following questions:
Your EVE Online story.
Your areas of expertise. In which areas of the game do you feel you are the most knowledgeable? What qualities set you apart from other candidates?
Why are you applying for the CSM?
What can players expect from you?
You are free to add more information and manage your campaign thread as you see fit, but the above four questions are the bare minimum required from everyone.
NOTE: Campaign threads for candidates that have not been approved might be removed to avoid confusion.
Your account must have updated and correct information at the time of your application. This includes your real-life name, correct date of birth, and the same email you use to submit your application. To view and edit this information go to the account management website .
Candidates must be at least 18 years of age. If the legal adult age in your home country (the age at which you have the legal capacity to enter into a contract) is higher than 18, that number applies instead.
As an applicant, you must consent to provide your personal details to CCP, including your real name and a copy of your passport or national ID card for those that do not plan to attend the CSM summit in person. CCP needs to affirm your real-life identity for NDA contract purposes.
If you do not currently have a valid passport, we will accept a picture/scan of a valid and approved passport application accompanied by a picture of your national ID card.
You must consent to share your country of origin with the EVE community and display it on the EVE Online website. You will not be required to share any other personal information.
If you are running as an "alt" and controlling a character with a reputation in the EVE universe, CCP may require you to run under that identity at its full discretion.
All personal data will be handled in accordance with European data protection and processing laws.
How To Apply
There are three mandatory steps Capsuleers interested in running for CSM 18 must take:
Fill in the application form between 1-16 August. Beware session time-outs that can refresh the page, and make sure to save your text in a document before. If you don't get confirmation, re-enter the information and try again.
Submit your document scans/pictures to csm-contact@ccpgames.com in high quality with the subject "CSM 18 application".
Create a forum thread in the CSM section on EVE Online forums. This step must be completed after you receive confirmation that your application has been both processed and approved.
Remember that applications cannot be edited after you submit them, so triple-check to see if the information entered is correct! We will be sending an email to all applicants, first to confirm that we received their application and second after the internal screening process is complete.
We warmly look forward to receiving your applications and following details of the many campaigns to come; we at CCP feel that we are far stronger and more effective at developing and maintaining the unique world of EVE side-by-side with the CSM, and we’re excited to continue to evolve the institution.
o7
