CA Top Two Vote Results Review

Sometimes you have to start with small steps.

Our friends in CA, with Jason Olson, Director of IndependentVoice.Org, had this to say about the Primary:

Even before the first vote is counted, Tuesday’s Statewide Primary Election had a big winner: California’s independent voters. For the first time in over a decade, the votes of the state’s 3.6 million independent voters (now called “No Party Preference”) actually mattered in State Legislative and Congressional elections.

These independent (NPP-No Party Preference) candidates made it to the General Election:

Congressional Seat
13CD - Marilyn Singleton
23CD - Terry Phillips
29CD - David Hernadez
33CD - Bill Bloomfield

State Assembly
28AD - Chad Walsh

The Independent Voice also supported Congressional Candidate Abel Maldonado (Republican, 24th District), who helped get Top Two passed as Lt. Governor, who also made it to the General Election.

"We're proud to stand with candidates who support the kinds of reforms necessary - like open primaries and redistricting reform - that take power away from the political parties and return it to the people."


Use the above link for more information about the Independent Voice.









NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote!

Michael H. Drucker
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Another CA Prop. 14 (Top Two) Challenge

Thanks to Ballot Access News for this post.

On May 6, Michael Chamness filed his motion for summary judgment in Chamness v Bowen, the federal case against two particular details of the California top-two system. The case attacks California’s discriminatory policy on ballot labels. It also attacks the new California law that says even though write-in space is to be printed on the ballot in Congressional and state office November elections, and even though the ballot doesn’t warn voters that any write-ins won’t be counted, in fact write-ins cannot be counted.

No declaratory judgment on either of these complaints has yet been issued by any California court, state or federal. The only action so far has been a denial of injunctive relief in various California special elections that have been held this year. Proponents of the top-two system, including almost all of California’s large daily newspapers, have generally not reported on these particular details about the top-two law, and have given little publicity to this lawsuit.

This is part of the motion:

1. Declares Senate Bill 6 unconstitutional and unenforceable, because it violates the U.S. Constitution.

2. Declares that Proposition 14 is not self-executing.

3. Declares Proposition 14 inoperative, because its implementing statute (SB 6) has been declared unenforceable.

4. Declares that Proposition 14 shall not become operative until a lawful implementing statute has been enacted and become operative.

5. Declares that Defendant Bowen violated Plaintiff Frederick’s fundamental rights under the First Amendment and Due Process
Clause.

6. Declares that Defendant Bowen violated Plaintiff Wilson’s fundamental right to have his lawfully cast vote counted under the First and Fourteenth Amendments, the Due Process Clause, and the Elections Clause.

7. Declares that Defendants Bowen and Logan imposed a severe burden on Plaintiff Chamness’ fundamental rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments, by (a) stifling his core political speech, and (b) dictating electoral outcomes.

8. Declares that Defendants Bowen and Logan violated Plaintiff Chamness’ fundamental rights under the Elections Clause.

9. Declares that every citizen has the right to run as a write-in candidate for state or federal office.

10. Declares that every citizen has the right to cast a write-in vote and have that vote counted.

Use the above link to read the entire motion.









NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote!

Michael H. Drucker
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California Prop 14 is GOOD

Thanks to the Hankster for this post.

William J. Kelleher, Ph.D. Political Scientist, author, speaker, CEO for The Internet Voting Research and Education Fund, a CA Nonprofit Foundation, wrote a article about CA Prop 14 (Top Two) on the website OpEdNews.com.

California's Proposition 14 provides a new way for the people of California to pursue the American Dream of Liberty through self-government. Prior to the enactment of Prop 14, only officially recognized "qualified" parties could conveniently run candidates in the primary election. "Unqualified" outsiders had prohibitive barriers, such as costly fees and high numbers of signatures on petitions to be placed on the ballot. Candidates in the qualified parties didn't have to suffer these restrictions.

More than three million Californians were effectively barred from voting in the primary election simply because they declined to register to vote as a member of any of the half dozen qualified parties. They could have lied about identifying with one of the qualified parties at the time of registering to vote, so that they could cast a primary vote; but because of their personal integrity they were unjustly deprived of the opportunity to vote in the primary election. They could only vote in the general election for the "left overs."

The three stages of Prop 14:

Stage One Liberation
Prop 14 is liberating for the people of California because it opens the door for a multi-party state legislature, and paves the way for the end of one-party domination...

The Stage Two Campaign
No one has to be rich or famous to get started under Prop 14. Anyone who is adept at using the social media, and has personal energy, drive, organizing skills, and a network of supporters within the district has a fighting chance at winning in stage two...

Stage Three Understood
Because stage two may have many candidates, chances are that no one will win by a clear majority. But in a democracy, the leadership should have the backing of a majority to assure its legitimacy. That is why two candidates are presented for a final vote. Having write-ins at this stage would allow someone to by-pass the process that the top two had just gone through. How fair is that?...

Use the above link to read the entire article.

I have been writing about this type of open primary for awhile. I hope we get to discuss this in much more detail at the upcoming National Conference of Independents on Feb. 12, 2011 in New York City.









NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote!

Michael H. Drucker
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