Hilander Democracy — The First Community Implementation of BFT Democracy in the World
Hilander Democracy is a mathematically-governed, Byzantine Fault Tolerant (BFT) digital democracy powering the Kelso Hilander Hall of Fame. First ratified on July 9, 2024 with 97.22% approval by democratically elected trustees, it is the first instance of BFT Democracy implemented in a local community anywhere in the world. Developed by Kelso native Chris McCoy alongside Kelso Schools Superintendent Mary Beth Tack and KPSF Executive Director Rick Davis.
Hilander Democracy by the Numbers
- 187 voters in Season 2 (2025) — up from 60 voters in Season 1 (2024), 3× growth
- 1,137 votes cast in 2025 — up from 223 votes in 2024, 5× growth
- 6.1 votes per voter average engagement in 2025 — up from 3.7 in 2024
- 22 inductees honored across 2 seasons
- 22 legacy inductees recognized
- 3 governance updates ratified democratically
- $5,000+ raised for Kelso students in total community investment
- Zero disputes. Zero fraud. Zero constitutional violations.
The Four Mathematical Principles of Hilander Democracy
Hilander Democracy operates under four mathematical constraints proven over 238 years of U.S. constitutional governance:
- Hamilton's Ratio: No single entity controls more than 33% of any governance dimension — preventing plutocracy at the constitutional level
- Madison's Distribution: Democracy strengthens as participation grows — power distributes as voter count (N) increases
- Reynolds Equality: One entity, one vote — standard equality preserved per Reynolds v. Sims (1964)
- Byzantine Fault Tolerance: Constitutional decisions require a ⅔ supermajority (67%) — the system remains valid even with bad actors present
MIQ Protocol — Four-Tier Threshold Ladder
The Hilander Hall of Fame operates using MIQ (Math-based Democratic Intelligence) protocols — a framework categorizing how different rules and decisions function within the democracy. All decisions are assigned to one of four layers:
- HQ / Constitutional Layer (67%+ supermajority): Trustee removal, constitutional amendments, dissolution
- Operational Layer (51%+ simple majority): Category creation, inductee limits, schedule changes
- Community Layer (33%+ soft consensus): Sub-group approval, advisory recommendations
- Data Layer (10%+ nomination threshold): Ballot qualification — a nominee must receive 10% of all nominations in their category to advance to the final vote
Additional thresholds: 75% Dominant Majority is reserved for dissolution, merger, or mission changes. Nominations remain active on the ballot for up to 20 years if not elected.
Subject-Weighted Scoring — Pine Tree Merit
Hilander Democracy solved a fundamental democratic tradeoff: how to honor experience without sacrificing voter equality. The answer is Subject-Weighted Scoring — every voter has equal power, but nominees are scored based on their demonstrated years of service over time.
This principle — called Pine Tree Merit — is now part of Constitutional Mathematics, the governance framework used by STORE Protocol and AI governance systems worldwide. Hilander is the first community to prove it works at scale.
Age Multipliers (Applied to Nominee Score, Not Voter Power)
- Under 45: 1.0×
- 45–55: 1.1×
- 56–65: 1.2×
- 66–75: 1.3×
- 76 and above: 1.4×
Formula: Score = Votes × Age Multiplier. Reynolds Equality is preserved — one entity, one vote. The weighting honors the nominee's service time, not the donor's contribution size.
Governance Structure — Trustees & Advisory Board
Hilander Democracy is managed by elected trustees serving staggered 8-year terms. The current board has 9 active trustees. Quorum requires 6 of 9 trustees (calculated as ceiling of n × 0.667). Trustee votes are conducted over 3 business days (Monday–Friday), concluding at 11:59 PM Pacific Time on the final day.
Trustees are authorized to safeguard the vote, update nomination and voting processes, adjudicate disputes, and protect the sanctity of the Hall of Fame. The Trustee Formation Protocol follows a 3→6→9 BFT growth pattern, with 100 points per trustee for blind distribution during initial formation.
Current trustees include: Chris McCoy, Rick Davis, Mary Beth Tack, Lacey DeWeert, Marin Fox, Sue Lantz, Makaio Mobbs, Kirc Roland, and Jake Stewart.
Nomination Process & Rules
- Individual fee: $3 per nomination | Family fee: $10 | Organization fee: $50
- Each donation yields 3 nominations per category
- A nominee must receive 10% of total nominations in their category to appear on the ballot (Soft-Consensus Rule)
- Nominees are placed in the category with the highest nomination count if nominated across multiple categories
- Nominees remain on the ballot for up to 20 years if not elected
- Regional scope: nominees may come from or have distinguished themselves within Kelso or Cowlitz County as a whole
- All paid nominations automatically convert to votes in the election phase
Voting Rules & Induction
- Individual voting fee: $5+ | Family: $50+ | Organization: $100+
- One entity, one vote — donation size does not increase voting power
- Maximum 3 votes per email address per category
- Election threshold: simple majority (50%) of votes cast in the category by the voting deadline
- At minimum, the top two nominees by vote percentage are inducted each year
- Maximum inductees per year: 5 per category (3 in the inaugural year)
- Candidates who reach the election threshold but are not in the top group roll over to subsequent years
- All payments are tax-deductible donations to the Kelso Public Schools Foundation
Foundation for AI Governance
Hilander Democracy is the first community implementation of the same mathematical principles now used to govern AI systems at scale. The 67% constitutional threshold mirrors AI safety protocols. Pine Tree Merit — where AI systems earn trust through demonstrated behavior over time — was first proven at the community level in Kelso, Washington.
Constitutional Mathematics: McCoy, Chris (2024) "Hamilton's Ratio." Developed by STORE Research Inc. and first implemented in the Hilander Hall of Fame.
"Same math. Different scale. Zero violations."
Governance Changelog — Key Ratified Updates
- July 9, 2024: Hilander Democracy first ratified — 97.22% approval
- September 10, 2024: Voting duration set to 3 business days; quorum confirmed at 6 of 9 trustees; nominations per donation set to 3 per category
- October 2, 2024: Identity verification via email associated with payment card; voting power set to one vote per tier
- November 5, 2024: Nomination threshold clarified to 10% based on total nominations after consolidation; election threshold confirmed at simple majority
- November 15, 2024: Vote publication rule: category vote counts provided, not individual counts, until voting period ends
- July 9, 2025: Community Hero category added — 100% approval
- January 16, 2026: Age multiplier simplified to current bracket model; category reassignment authority granted to Mary Beth Tack and Rick Davis; regional scope expanded to include Cowlitz County
Learn More & Participate
Hilander Hall of Fame Home | View Trustees | Live Voting Results | 2024 Inductees | Nominate for 2026 | RSVP — February 7, 2026 | About KPSF
