With all the focus directed at the wide open presidential field for 2008, the down ticket seats present a unique opportunity for Independents to take the higher ground and demand real Election Reform to include fair ballot access and secure voting machines. Here is a summary of the main points:
Uniform Ballot Access
Loosen Third Party Ballot Restrictions
Universal Voter Registration
Election Day Holiday
Equal Media Access/Debate Inclusion
Instant Runoff Voting (IRV)
Secure Voting Machines
Public Campaign Financing
Direct Popular Vote Election of the President
DC Congressional Representation
One million voters have abandoned the two established parties in the last two months - and another million will abandon the two established parties before the first primary in January 2008. In fact, some voters are going as far as to show up at the polls on Election Day to ensure they are on the rolls for the November election. They intend to check in with the Election official, then leave without casting a vote.
Join our team of independent Americans who have helped me craft this plan and pledged to not listen to debates between members of the established parties. Nor will they discuss the upcoming primaries. Nor will they vote in the primaries. The real election will be in November 2008 - and since they refuse to debate our candidates, we refuse to acknowledge them. They do not represent the people and we are finished pretending that a democracy exists as long as they are in control.
We are the new silent majority and we will displace them out of office in November 2008!
---
To reverse the troubling reality that 50% of all elections have only one name on the ballot, we offer this National Election Reform Platform.
Our mission is to recruit capable citizens to get on the ballot and challenge career politicians who only answer to campaign contributors.
We aim to encourage citizens to run for office as Independents because the Big Two parties have proven unwilling to fix our electoral process in ways that make it fair for all to participate.
Empowered citizens are needed now to solve the complex issues of war, health care, environment, education, immigration, trade, net neutrality etc.
We need Action Against Apathy: the National Election Reform Platform.
We encourage all candidates to adopt this National Election Reform Platform and pledge to enact these measures in their first six months in office.
Here are ten key points of our National Election Reform Platform.
1. Uniform Ballot Access for federal candidates. Rather than candidates for president having 51 different rules for making the ballot, make the criteria uniform throughout the land.
2. Loosen Third Party Ballot Restrictions. Force states to untie ballot access to past election results. Without fair ballot access in place, the thresholds to become a recognized third party are too difficult to achieve (by design of the Big Two). Currently only 37 states have at least one recognized third party and that changes based on election results.
3. Universal Voter Registration. Legislation has already been passed that will require government standardized identification cards which should be acceptable to election officials to allow anyone who shows up at the right precinct on Election Day to vote on-the-spot whether registered or not.
4. Extended Election Hours. Either hold elections on weekends or move it to a holiday like Columbus Day in October.
5. Media Access for third party contenders to include broadcast time on public airwaves and inclusion in debates.
6. Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) which allows voters to rank their choices. If no candidate gets a majority of the vote – over 50% - then the lowest number of first place votes is eliminated and the second place votes are counted. This continues until a candidate secures a majority.
7. Secure the Vote - Ensure the security of our voting instruments whether it is via a papertrail or some better method. Six years since the Florida debacle should have provided secure voting machines. Electronic machines subject to manipulation are not the answer.
8. Public Campaign Financing - Instituting a fair and equitable method of public campaign financing reduces taxpayer burden. Here's how: It costs the country more now under the current system that forces candidates to raise exorbitant sums of money from corporate and private donors (read: elitists). The winner is then beholden to the group of financiers that paid for that victory which creates a corrupt system of paybacks (no-bid contracts) and legislation (energy bill subsidizing oil and gas; prescription drug bill favoring pharmaceutical companies) that raids our Treasury at an enormous cost to the taxpayer - the real owners of our country.
9. Direct Election of the President by popular vote. Get rid of the Electoral College.
10. Voting representation in congress for the citizens of the federal District of Columbia (which also gives them an Electoral College vote).
*** Send your Feedback! ***
Independent Election Reform Platform written by Joseph Oddo. Many thanks to Daniel Imperato, Dan Mangru, Pat LaMarche, Christine Smith, Marv Pixton, Kevin Murphy, Tatyanna Pattan, Webster Brooks and Richard Winger for contributing their ideas.
###
Forward this to the contenders for president asking them to pledge to adopt this platform if elected.
