2026 AGV Council Elections: Timeline and Process Overview

DAO Programs & Initiatives Arbitrum Gaming Ventures (AGV)
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Notice on the Use of Vote-Buying Platforms in the 2026 AGV Council Elections

Proposed Policy and Reconfirmation Procedure

This comment outlines a proposed policy for if vote-buying-as-a-service platforms (“Vote-Buying Platforms”) are used and materially influence the outcome of the 2026 Council elections conducted under the DAO’s shielded weighted voting system (see the Arbitrum DAO Procedures).

1. Policy Rationale

AGV does not take a position on whether Vote-Buying Platforms should or should not be used. However, when purchased votes directly determine who is elected to a 2026 AGV Council seat, irrespective of whom or with what intention they purchased them, this creates governance and reputational risks that require a procedural safeguard.

The goal of this policy is not to invalidate votes or question voter intent, but to ensure that:

  • If purchased votes are the reason a candidate qualifies for a Council seat, the DAO has the opportunity to affirm or reject that outcome through a reconfirmation vote.
  • If a candidate wins an AGV council seat and Vote-Buying Platform votes were not outcome-determinative, no reconfirmation is required.

2. Material Influence Standard

A reconfirmation vote is required only if:

  • A candidate receives votes purchased through Vote-Buying Platforms in a quantity that changes which candidate is elected to AGV Council seats, meaning that without such votes, the candidate would not have been elected.
  • This applies regardless of who purchased the votes and regardless of the candidate’s broader ranking. If the candidate would have won even without Vote-Buying Platform votes, then no reconfirmation is necessary.

3. Mandatory DAO-Wide Reconfirmation Vote

If the material influence standard is met:

  • The candidate must participate in a DAO-wide reconfirmation vote conducted via Snapshot.
  • The Snapshot vote will ask tokenholders to either: Reconfirm the candidate (affirming their seat), or decline to reconfirm.
  • If reconfirmation fails, the seat will be filled by the next eligible candidate under the 2026 election rules, including the limit of no more than two members per seat type.

4. Proposed Reconfirmation Timeline if Lobbyfi Used

  • 4th of December: Snapshot vote opens to reconfirm any 2026 Council member whose election was materially influenced by a Vote-Buying Platform(s)

  • 9th of December 2pm UTC: AMA for affected Council member candidate(s)

  • 11th of December: Snapshot vote closes; results announced

AGV - 2026 Council Elections