What is the Council of Stellar Management?

Over the next couple of weeks, I will take a look into the process that is the CSM(Council of Stellar Management) election. On today's agenda we ask a few questions what is the CSM? Who can run for the CSM? and Who can vote for CSM candidates? Also When can you vote for CSM in 2013? Check out the latest Devblog  CSM8 Election Schedule and Election Process or the official list of rules here. Also the official wiki has a somewhat mind numbing article on the process which can be found at What is the CSM? - EVElopedia. Head over to the forum Jita Park Speakers Corner to see who is running for CSM8.
 
What is the CSM?

The Council of Stellar Management(CSM) is a player-elected council to represent the views of the players to CCP. Current CSM members can be identified by the golden title CSM under their image in forum posts, and a list is available in the Category CSM Candidates.

Players can raise issues to the CSM for consideration, and obtain support for the CSM to raise issues to CCP by posting in the Assembly Hall Channel on the Eve-Online official forums.

Who is eligable to run for CSM?

Anyone who has held an EVE Online account for more than sixty (60) days is eligible to campaign for a representative seat on the CSM, with the following exceptions: employees, volunteers, interns, etc...

Also, players with a serious warning or ban on any account in their possession can be excluded from candidate eligibility.

All candidates must verify their identity to CCP before they can officially be acknowledged as  a  candidate. All candidates must be 21 years old or older in order to qualify as a candidate and hold a valid passport...

Who can vote for CSM?

Any active EVE online account that is at least a full thirty (30) days in age is eligible to vote. Only one vote per account - not per character - is permitted.

When can you vote for CSM in 2013?

CSM Election schedule for 2013:

• 12^th – 20^th of March: candidacy application period

• 22^nd – 29^th of March: Pre-Election

• 3^rd – 17^th of April: Announcement of final ballot and Election

• 27^th of April: Election result announcement