Yes this petty.  And yes this undermines the will of the people.  But that doesn't make it "not regulation".  Perhaps we can agree that it is "bad regulation".  But it is regulation nonetheless. Just remember that regulation is done by politicians and bureaucrats.  And now they are just doing what they always do.  They use up valuable time and engage in the inevitable free exercise of stupidity (that's the part you're seeing now).  I'm just surprised that so many who voted for this are surprised by it.  It's fascinating to me and ironic. Be wary of anyone who says, "I"m from the government, I'm here to help." By the way, I also voted for this.  But I'm getting exactly what I expected.  A circus.