With all the focus directed at the wide open presidential field in  2008, the down ticket seats once again were largely ignored by the major media. Incumbents won 90% reelection to congress despite having the lowest rating in history.

The numbers of registered independents saw a decline for the first time this decade. As it stands now, 24 million people are registered independent with 40 million D & 30 million R. That does not include some states that do not require specific party registration. Obviously the reduction in indies was due to the large numbers of people that wanted to participate in the primary of one of the big two parties. 

While true independents did choose among four major minor party candidates, just over 1.7 million voted outside of the big two. That means that most independents are actually swing voters and chose to once again hand over the reins of government to the same "establishment" that gave us questionable election methods, unfair ballot access and continued third party exclusion from debates and media participation. We forgive those who made that decision. And we will welcome you back once you realize that choosing the "establishment" party will not benefit the people at all.

There is still an 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

    *    Proportional Representation

   *    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

Join our team of independent Americans who have helped me craft this plan. Considering that 1% of the nation's population own 40% of the nation's wealth, shoudn't we be asking: Why is it that that one percent has two political parties to choose from (with very little diferentiating them) and the rest of us have none? Many of our true independents have pledged to boycott the two party debates (really just scripted infomercials). Many others chose not to even vote. In fact, one in every four registered voter chose NOT to vote in November 2008.

  Once the majority of Americans realize that their elected establishment figures do not represent the people, they will quit pretending that a democracy exists in the US. After seeing the long arm of our federal government's questionable involvement in the financial crises (brought to us by the big two party plunderers) it is difficult to recognize this as a functioning democracy.

So join our silent majority and help us gradually displace the establishment out of office in elections coming to a state or city near you in 2009, 10 & 11.

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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, financial mismanagement, 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. 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.

2.  Proportional Representation. According to Steven Hill, “No rule or law says we cannot combine our single-seat districts with proportional representation. Proportional voting methods offer a fairer and more flexible method for achieving representation in diverse cities”, and would “lesson the degree of polarization.”

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.

*** Send your Feedback! ***

Independent Election Reform Platform written by Joseph Oddo.  Many thanks to Pat LaMarche, Christine Smith, Marv Pixton, Kevin Murphy, Tatyanna Pattan, Webster Brooks and Richard Winger for contributing their ideas.

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Forward this to the contenders for president asking them to pledge to adopt this platform if elected.