Voters in doubt about how to vote on Proposition 121 should look to our neighbor to the west and decide if they want California-style primary elections in Arizona. The California top two primary system is similar to the one proposed in Proposition 121. All candidates and voters would participate in one primary; the top two [...]
Why Top Two is a Bad Idea
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Proposition 121 is attempting to bring California-style primary elections to Arizona
October 4, 2012
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Viewpoints: Top-two primary hurt competition in the Golden State
August 8, 2012
+ SHAREBy Steven Hill
The Sacramento Bee
In early June, California held an election featuring the first-time use of the top-two primary and legislative districts redrawn by an independent commission. Both of these reforms have been touted nationwide as ones that could help elect more moderates, decrease legislative polarization and increase competition and voter choice.
Yet a recent analysis [...] -
Stop Top Two—The Corporate Control of Elections
May 10, 2012
+ SHAREVoters in some states could have only one party to choose from at the ballot box come general Election Day if “Top Two” systems are not stopped.
Top Two, is a plan that, when adopted by an election district, allows only the top two vote getters in a general primary to advance and effectively would eliminate third party candidates from the general election, delivering a tremendous blow to this country’s election process.
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Free & Equal: California Top Two update
August 4, 2011
+ SHAREOn July 14, U.S. District Court Judge Otis Wright set the date of August 22 for oral argument in Chamness v Bowen, the case that challenges the part of California’s top-two system that lets some candidates use their party label on the ballot but not other candidates. According to the order, although the judge is still inclined to uphold the ballot label law, he wants to be fair and to listen to oral argument.
Also regarding the California Top Two lawsuit, the scope of the case was potentially expanded on July 18, when a write-in candidate for U.S. House in the July 12 special election, for an office in the 36th district in western Los Angeles County, asked to intervene in the case.
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California GOP Drama Illustrates How Top Two Choke Point Puts MORE Power Into the Hands of Party Insiders
March 21, 2011
+ SHAREBy Solomon Kleinsmith
As much this staunch centrist independent finds some sense of amusement from the fact that the California GOP is having internal problems in response to the “top two” choke point part of Proposition 14, this story illustrates one of the major problems of limiting only two people through primaries and into a general [...] -
Straight Talk vs Political Obfuscation on Top Two “Choke Point” Primaries
March 8, 2011
+ SHAREWhat I don’t get, at all, is when spin goes so far that when you ask them about an issue they literally refuse to talk about it. This has been the case with every single person I’ve been able to engage with one on one with Top Two primary rules.
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Gautam Dutta: Why People Hate Politics
August 12, 2010
+ SHAREThe issue is simple. If a newly passed California law (SB 6) is allowed to kick in, thousands of voters will be disenfranchised. Why? Because with SB 6, if you cast a vote for a write-in candidate in a general election, your vote will not be counted.
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Free and Equal Radio Show – Senate Bill 6 Lawsuit Interviews – 8/3/2010
August 3, 2010
+ SHAREFree & Equal Radio Tuesday Night 7pm to 9pm Pacific Time. Steve Chessin, a plaintiff in the lawsuit against California Senate Bill 6 will join us, along with the attorney that is representing the plaintiffs in that lawsuit Gautam Dutta.
Steve Chessin is an election reform activist in California and a member of Californians for Electoral Reform who has supported successful efforts to use IRV elections in CA.
Guatam Dutta has an extensive background in the law and currently practices in California. He was recently the Deputy Director of the Political Reform Program at the New America Foundation working on government reform and election law issues.
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(Video) Statement by Attorney Gautam Dutta in response to Governor Schwarzenegger and Lt Governor Maldonado’s attacks on the SB 6 / Prop 14 lawsuit
July 31, 2010
+ SHARE“Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lieutenant Governor Abel Maldonado’s joint attacks on the SB 6 lawsuit are baseless attempts to deviate attention from the real issues at hand. It is telling that both the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor, who is the author of SB 6, have not challenged the legal merits of our lawsuit or denied the allegations that SB 6 will disenfranchise voters and censor candidates from smaller political parties. They are attempting to diminish the illegality of SB 6 by throwing around phrases like “special interests” and “party bosses.” The fact is this lawsuit was brought by six individuals (four voters and two candidates) who are concerned about the serious implications of SB 6. This lawsuit is not funded by any political party, organizations or so-called “special interests.”
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California Enshrines the Duopoly
July 24, 2010
+ SHAREby Ralph Nader
Last month, Big Business interests shamelessly dealt our already depleted democracy a devastating blow by misleading California voters into approving Proposition 14, without their opponents being able to reach the people with rebuttals.
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Free And Equal: Media Ignores Ethic of Balanced Reporting in Effort to Push Agenda
July 8, 2010
+ SHARE“If half of the media in California who covered Proposition 14 practiced ethical, balanced journalism, the proposition would have failed hands down,” said Christina Tobin, StopTopTwo.org chair and founder of Free & Equal Elections Foundation. /… “The Los Angeles Times had the worst reporting on Proposition 14. StopTopTwo.org will ensure everyone knows which media outlets lived up to the ethics of balanced coverage,” Tobin said. “There are also those who did an excellent job, and the public will know who they can turn to for fair and balanced coverage.”
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California Dreaming – Sabato’s Crystal Ball
July 7, 2010
+ SHAREThe “top two” primary system is not going to change the realities of partisan polarization and one-party domination of large areas of California. Given the sharp ideological divide between Democratic and Republican voters, liberal Democrats will continue to dominate elections in Democratic regions of the state and conservative Republicans will continue to dominate elections in Republican regions of the state.
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“Top Two” Illusions
July 7, 2010
+ SHAREThe “top two” system does not provide any particular incentive for winning an actual majority of votes in a primary; the top finisher still must face the runner-up in the general election, where turnout is very likely to be much higher. So the safe thing to do is to nail down a general election spot by appealing to partisans (Prop 14 does not repeal party registration, which means that candidates will know exactly whom to contact with partisan messages), while beginning the general election campaign by going after the other party’s preferred candidate.
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Prop. 14 morning-after blues / History of the top two
June 30, 2010
+ SHARECome late summer or early fall 2012, voters are going to wake up and wonder why they only have two choices. There will no longer be Peace and Freedom Party, Libertarian Party, Green Party or American Independent Party candidates on the general-election ballot. Independent candidates will no longer be allowed to qualify for the general-election ballot.
To top it off, write-in votes will no longer be counted in the general election. ///
The top-two system was invented in Louisiana in 1975. Louisiana has had 35 years of experience with it. I am amazed that people will speculate about how it will work and not actually discuss what really happened in Louisiana.In 35 years, no minor party candidate ever qualified for the second round.
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Flawed primary in California
June 27, 2010
+ SHARE“Hopefully, California will discard the top-two primary system and consider different and better options.” – Dr. Joseph Kolacinski is an assistant professor in Elmira College’s Department of Mathematics.
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Top Two Election Idea Spreading, StopTopTwo.org Is There To Fight It
June 23, 2010
+ SHARE“StopTopTwo.org is alive and kicking, and we are going to continue fighting this Top Two election system wherever it pops up,” Christina Tobin said. “This doesn’t stop with Proposition 14 in California. StopTopTwo.org will keep our eyes on the nation to make sure the public is educated about better election system options than Top Two.”
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Christina Tobin issues statement on passage of Proposition 14 in California
June 17, 2010
+ SHAREThere is no such thing as a ‘wasted vote’ with Instant Runoff Voting. IRV eliminates the ‘lesser of two evils’ problem, encourages positive campaigns, and empowers grassroots activists. Top Two is fake reform. Top Two cuts off most of the debate five months before the election, and raises the money barrier for winning elections, making it easier for wealthy special interests to drown out the voice of average citizens. Top Two reduces your voice by banning write-in votes, and forcing you to pick from only two choices in the general election.
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“Top Two” Primaries Benefit Tax-Raisers, Disenfranchise Tax-Cutters
June 16, 2010
+ SHARE“Hewlett-Packard’s major financial support of Proposition 14 was disgusting. Our organization will never again buy any products bearing the Hewlett-Packard label, and I urge all taxpayers who will be disenfranchised by Proposition 14 to do the same.”
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Steven L. Taylor – Electoral Reform in California
June 11, 2010
+ SHAREPolitical Scientist John J. Pitney, Jr. notes: “In states that have tried similar election procedures, there is little evidence that a more moderate political culture has resulted.”
Further, I would point out that the likelihood will remain that the voters who will turn out for the “primary” (i.e., the first round) will still be the more hardcore/partisan/ideological voters as opposed to the larger and likely more moderate voters who turn out for the general election (i.e., the second round). As such, this change does not alter a basic structural aspect of the process (i.e., the electorate that choose the top two is not the same as the electorate that chooses the officeholder–which is true of primaries in general).
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George Will – California’s proposition mush
June 11, 2010
+ SHAREVoters who prefer their political menu seasoned with the spices provided by minor parties are pretty much out of luck. Under Proposition 14, such parties — Green, Libertarian, etc. — which previously could place candidates on November ballots, will almost always be excluded from those by failing to run first or second in primaries.
But, then, blandness is the point of this reform. It seeks to generate a homogenized political class, one not lumpy with liberals and conservatives who, being conviction politicians, do not always play well with others.
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StopTopTwo.Org and Ralph Nader Release Statements on the Passing of Proposition 14
June 9, 2010
+ SHARE“Throughout the primary election season, Prop 14 supporters hammered voters with deceptive and hypocritical messages – from false claims about how the measure would cure all of Sacramento’s ills to the misleading ballot language itself,” stated Christina Tobin, chair of StopTopTwo.Org. “Big business and big government won yesterday. If StopTopTwo.Org had half the funding that Schwarzenegger’s group had, we would have been better equipped to spread the truth and would have won by a very wide margin. Simply put, voters were tricked into supporting this terrible measure by corrupt politicians and big business interests.”
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National Leaders from the Constitution, Green, Libertarian, Peace & Freedom, and Progressive Parties Release Statement Opposing California’s Proposition 14
June 8, 2010
+ SHAREIf this ballot measure passes, the frightening unintended consequences will be other states following California’s tyrannical example. This is not the kind of electoral “reform” we want spreading throughout our country. It limits voter choice and gives more control to corporations.
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The Cap Times – A primary primer
June 8, 2010
+ SHARE“There are plenty of pitfalls here, the most worrisome being that it would drive up the cost of elections and give more moneyed (and corporate-allied) candidates a sharper competitive edge while elbowing out progressives. It would allow Republicans to play a role in what would normally be Democratic primaries (and vice versa). The measure would also make it nearly impossible for smaller parties — the Green Party, for example — to offer candidates in the November elections.
“Bad idea, bad process, Vote no.
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LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF OHIO ENDORSES STOP TOP TWO INITIATIVE IN CALIFORNIA
June 7, 2010
+ SHAREVoters in many of our gerrymandered districts would only see candidates of a single party on the November ballot, and as evidenced in the state of Washington, reelection rates skyrocket to nearly 99%, well above the incumbency rates seen in the Soviet Politburo at the height of the Cold War…
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Ralph Nader to Speak against Proposition 14 on Ron Owen’s KGO Show at 9:30 a.m. on Monday
June 7, 2010
+ SHARERalph Nader will speak today against Proposition 14, the Top Two Primaries Act that Gov. Schwarzenegger, Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado, and the California Chamber of Commerce are pushing onto Californians. Nader is scheduled to speak on Ron Owen’s KGO show at 9:30 a.m. PDT on Monday.
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Donklephant – The ‘First, DO Harm’ Act – CA Prop 14
June 6, 2010
+ SHAREThis proposition flat out screws the minor parties. This glaring selfishness is made embarrassingly worse by the fact that several independent supporters I have communicated with, or read explanations of their reasoning for support, of the proposition have actually touted this as a way of further marginalizing these minor parties. This rings of a bully at school taking his anger out on even smaller kids because his bigger brothers have been beating on him for years. In fact, this is precisely what this is.
I’m not going to split hairs on this issue. Independents that support this bill should be ashamed of themselves. -
Prop 14 Opponents Schedule Election Night Press Availability in Sacramento
June 5, 2010
+ SHARESACRAMENTO – Opponents of Prop 14, the June 8 ballot measure that would limit the number of candidates in general elections to just two, will hold an election night press availability at 2868 Northgate Blvd, Suite 103 starting at 7:30 p.m.
Other anti-Prop 14 election night events will be announced soon in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area.
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Proposition 14 Fact vs. Fiction: Thoughts from Political Scientists Seth Masket and Boris Shor
June 4, 2010
+ SHARETwo leading political scientists, Boris Shor and Seth Masket, have studied the polarization problem extensively. Their findings show that Proposition 14 will not solve California’s partisanship problem.
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Progressive Party Movement Opposes Proposition 14 in California Vote
June 3, 2010
+ SHAREThe result of the top-two election system is the systematic elimination of any choice for voters other than Republican or Democrat in the general election, unless a third party can overcome one of the two “major parties” in the primary.
We therefore urge California voters to vote NO on Proposition 14 if they wish to retain their constitutionally guaranteed right to vote for the candidate of their choice in each and every election.
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Why top two primary is bad for third parties
June 3, 2010
+ SHAREIn summary, the Top Two Primary has not solved any problems, and it has created new ones. Incumbents still rule the legislature.
The Top Two is not a solution. It is a problem. We urge you to vote, “NO” on Prop. 14.
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WarIsACrime.org: Washington State’s Third Party Leaders Issue Anti-Proposition 14 Statement
June 3, 2010
+ SHARELeaders from Washington State’s Third Party Coalition released a statement today urging California voters to vote no on Proposition 14. The coalition is comprised of the American Heritage Party, Constitution Party, Green Party, Libertarian Party, and Progressive Party. The Top Two Primary System in Action — The Experience of Third Parties in Washington State
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New Libertarian Party National Chair Opposes California Proposition 14
June 3, 2010
+ SHAREMark Hinkle, newly elected chair of the National Libertarian Party, and former chair of the Libertarian Party of California, issued the following statement today about California’s Proposition 14, the “Top-Two” elections measure:
“Californians, please vote NO on Proposition 14. This is not the change we need. This Top Two system will shut out all but two voices in our November elections, which are the elections that count. Now more than ever, we need more political voices and broader representation on the November ballot, but this proposition will do just the opposite.”
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Ralph Nader Warns Californians: Vote NO on Proposition 14 — Stop the “Top Two” Tyranny
June 2, 2010
+ SHARERalph Nader, who has run for president both as an independent and as a third-party candidate, today warned against the ballot proposition promoted by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. “Californians need to defeat Proposition 14 or they will risk further entrenching the two-party system,” stated Nader.
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Washington State’s Third Party Leaders Issue Anti-Proposition 14 Statement
June 1, 2010
+ SHARELeaders from Washington State’s Third Party Coalition released a statement today urging California voters to vote no on Proposition 14. The coalition is comprised of the American Heritage Party, Constitution Party, Green Party, Libertarian Party, and Progressive Party. The Top Two Primary System in Action — The Experience of Third Parties in Washington State
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Little evidence in Washington that ‘top two’ primary moderates politics
June 1, 2010
+ SHAREBut the experience in Washington so far offers little evidence that Proposition 14 proponents’ promises of increased turnout and more moderate officeholders will pan out in California.
“There was nothing dramatic enough that happened to make someone stand up and say, ‘Wow, this is really different,’ ” said Travis Ridout, a political [...]
Top Two In The News
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Free & Equal Elections Foundation Announces Numerous New Sponsors Promoting the 2012 Presidential Debate
October 9, 2012
+ SHAREFree & Equal Calls for More Sponsors Across the Political Spectrum
2012 Presidential Debate to be Broadcast Worldwide on Al Jazeera, Link TV, and Free & Equal
Free and Equal Elections Foundation today announced more media and grassroots organizations that have signed on as sponsors for the 2012 Presidential debate.Hosted by Free and Equal, the debate [...]
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Free & Equal Elections Foundation Announces Panel Discussion at the Goldwater Institute
October 6, 2012
+ SHAREFree & Equal Unites Experts to Discuss Problems with Arizona’s Version of the Top Two Primary System – Proposition 121
Free and Equal Elections Foundation today announced a panel discussion uniting experts to examine the problems with Arizona’s Proposition 121, dubbed the “Open” Elections / “Open” Government Act.
“Top two primary systems are intentionally confusing to voters, make [...] -
Political Parties United in Dislike of Top-Two Primaries
October 4, 2012
+ SHAREPHOENIX – They don’t agree on much, but a plan to create “top two” primaries has Arizona’s major and minor political parties on the same page – or at least close to it.
Their responses range from outright opposition from Republican, Libertarian and Green leaders to noncommittal dislike from the Arizona Democratic Party.
Proposition 121, dubbed the [...] -
Arizona Judge Issues Critical Ruling on “Open Election/Open Government Act”
August 7, 2012
+ SHAREArizona’s “Stop Top Two” Political Committee Responds Positively
PHOENIX, AZ – A Maricopa County Superior Court judge ruled on Monday the “Open Elections/Open Government Act” violated current Arizona law and should not be placed on the ballot, underscoring a victory for the Stop Top Two political committee which is fighting against the proposed measure (C-03-2012). Stop [...]
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Free & Equal Forms “Stop Two Two” in Arizona
August 2, 2012
+ SHAREFiles Official Paperwork with Secretary of State
CHICAGO, IL- On Wednesday, Free & Equal announced they had formed “Stop Two Two” in Arizona and filed the paperwork to become an officially recognized political committee. The filing was completed early this morning with the Secretary of State’s office.
“Top Two” elections allow all candidates to run in a first [...] -
Open Primary Consequences
July 23, 2012
+ SHARERemember David Duke, the Ku Klux Klan grand wizard in Louisiana? He is what you can get in an open primary.
Louisiana has a completely open primary system. In the 1991 governor’s race, David Duke was the second-highest vote getter. He lost big in the general election to Edwin Edwards, whose subsequent corruption earned him a [...] -
Paul Johnson Insults, Indicts the Voters of Arizona
July 23, 2012
+ SHAREIf you’re paying attention to Arizona politics and this year’s election, you know a left-leaning committee has its sights set on turning Arizona elections on its head in the name of re-engaging so-called “independent” voters.
The chairman of the committee pushing the “Top Two Primary” aka “Jungle Primary” initiative is none other than former Democrat and [...] -
Arizona Latinos Republicans Oppose Jungle Primary
July 23, 2012
+ SHAREThe Arizona Latino Republican Association, the largest conservative Latino organization in the state, has announced its opposition to the “jungle” or “top 2” primary system. ALRA submtted their formal statement of opposition to be included in the information booklet sent to all voters in the state.
“If approved this primary system would not only replicate the [...] -
Attorney Leads New Fight Against Open Primary Plan
July 23, 2012
+ SHAREA top elected Republican will be leading the effort to convince voters to keep the partisan in partisan politics.
Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery told Capitol Media Services Tuesday the initiative drive for an open primary system will not meet its stated goals of increasing voter participation and electing candidates who are not at either extreme. [...] -
Brewer Says She’s Against Primary Changes
July 23, 2012
+ SHAREPHOENIX (AP) – Gov. Jan Brewer says she’s not taking any further steps to have legislators consider election-law changes but that it doesn’t mean she likes an initiative measure to dramatically change Arizona’s primary system.
Brewer and Republican legislative leaders had agreed to have a special session this week on a possible referendum on a related [...] -
Push is on for open primary in Arizona
May 9, 2012
+ SHAREPolitical moderates for years have bemoaned Arizona’s partisan primary system. Voter participation is typically light, they complain, giving outsize influence to diehard party activists who often are either more conservative or more liberal than most rank-and-file party members and independents. And Democratic or Republican voters in districts dominated by the other party frequently have little or no choice once the general election arrives. Many centrists blame the status quo for the state’s increasingly divisive political climate.
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California’s Humpty-Dumpty Law
January 17, 2011
+ SHAREA few weeks back, the California Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal about a core part of Proposition 14 (aka, the “Top Two” Primary). As a result, a state appeals court in San Francisco will soon hear legal arguments on two troubling flaws of what we affectionately call the Humpty-Dumpty Law: Senate Bill 6, which fleshes out crucial details of Prop 14. Here are the two questions the court will look at:
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Minnesota pushes back at partisan extremes
September 11, 2010
+ SHARE“There’s been a lot of soul-searching about how the whole system works,” said Elizabeth Glidden, a Minneapolis City Council member involved with FairVote Minnesota, a group that’s been collecting signatures at the State Fair for a statewide ranked choice system, in which voters pick candidates in order of preference.
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California Lawsuit Over “Top-Two” Becomes a 3-Cornered Fight
August 24, 2010
+ SHAREOn August 24, a California Superior Court ruled that Lieutenant Governor Abel Maldonado, and the California Independent Voters Network, and the campaign committee for “Yes on 14″ , should all be allowed to intervene in the lawsuit that challenges two restrictive aspects of California’s “Top-two” system. The case is Field v Bowen, cgc10-502018, San Francisco. All three intervenors have the same set of attorneys.
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Judge rules that Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado can continue fight for open primaries
August 24, 2010
+ SHAREA San Francisco Superior Court Judge ruled this morning that Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado can continue his fight for open primaries.
The lieutenant governor, formerly a state senator representing Santa Cruz County and parts of Santa Clara County, had petitioned the courts to intervene in a lawsuit challenging Proposition 14, the voter-approved measure that advances the top two voter-getters to a general election, not the political parties’ top candidates.
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Lt. Governor Abel Maldonado May Need An Intervention
August 19, 2010
+ SHARELt. Governor Abel Maldonado May Need An Intervention
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Lt. Governor Abel Maldonado, the California Independent Voter Network and the Yes on Prop 14 campaign have asked the courts to allow them to intervene as defendants in the lawsuit against state Senate Bill 6. A hearing regarding whether they have legal standing to intervene [...] -
Maldonado, others seek to intervene in lawsuit challenging Proposition 14
August 19, 2010
+ SHAREGautam Dutta, the plaintiffs’ attorney, is opposing Maldonado’s intervention, saying it is the sole job of Attorney General Jerry Brown to defend the state against the lawsuit.
A hearing on the request has been scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday.
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Capitol Alert AM: Election Day for SD 15
August 17, 2010
+ SHAREProposition 14 are touting their proposals to change the implementation of the new system. The suit alleges that Senate Bill 6, accompanying legislation to enact the new primary system, disenfranchises voters and minor party candidates. Plaintiff Richard Winger, publisher of Ballot Access news, and Stop Top Two founder Christina Tobin will be on hand for the 10:30 a.m. news conference at the Capitol’s south steps.
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SB6 Lawsuit Discussed at Tuesday Press Conference at California State Capitol.
August 16, 2010
+ SHARESACRAMENTO, Calif. – Richard Winger, elections expert and plaintiff in the lawsuit against Senate Bill 6 (SB 6) and Christina Tobin, CEO and founder of Free and Equal Elections Foundation and StopTopTwo.org creator, will give a press conference on the south steps of the California State Capitol, near the corner of 11th [...]
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Richard Winger and Christina Tobin to Host Sacramento Press Conference on Election Reforms
August 13, 2010
+ SHARESACRAMENTO, Calif. – Richard Winger, plaintiff in the lawsuit against Senate Bill 6, and Christina Tobin, CEO and founder of Free and Equal Elections Foundation and StopTopTwo.org creator, will give a press conference on the south steps of the California State Capitol, Tuesday, August 17, 10:30 a.m.
Richard Winger is publisher and editor of Ballot Access [...] -
Limiting voters’ choices
August 12, 2010
+ SHAREIf Proposition 14 is allowed to stand, this November will effectively be the last time California voters can vote Peace and Freedom, Green, Libertarian or American Independent in state or federal races, except for president.
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StopTopTwo.org will Head in a New Direction to Educate Voters Nationwide about the Dangers of Top Two Election Systems
August 3, 2010
+ SHARESACRAMENTO, Calif. – Christina Tobin, CEO and founder of Free and Equal Elections Foundation is proud to announce exciting changes for StopTopTwo.org as it transitions to a new, nationwide focus, after the June 8 election.
“StopTopTwo.org will be taking a new direction in California and will expand efforts against the spread of this bad reform to [...] -
(Audio) Suit Seeks to Block Calif. Open Primary Law
July 31, 2010
+ SHARE“If you vote for a write-in candidate, your vote will not count. It will not be counted, and that is flat out illegal,” he said.
Supporters of an open primary system, including Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lieutenant Governor Abel Maldonado, say the will of voters should not be overruled by “Sacramento special interests” and “party bosses.”
Dutta called those labels laughable.
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StopTopTwo.org’s Christina Tobin Tells Governor Schwarzenegger to Chill Out.
July 30, 2010
+ SHARESACRAMENTO, Calif. – As reported in the San Jose Mercury News yesterday, Thursday, July 29, a lawsuit was filed charging that state Senate Bill 6 is unconstitutional. SB 6 is the legislation that put Proposition 14, the Top Two election system, on the June 8 California ballot.
Specifically, the lawsuit claims that SB 6 bans the [...] -
California’s New Primary System Faces Court Challenge
July 30, 2010
+ SHAREThe implications of the law haven’t been thought through, according to Christina Tobin, founder of the Free and Equal Elections Foundation, a nonpartisan advocacy group that supports the lawsuit.
“We want the Legislature to be forced to hold open hearings on top-two, which they should have done in the first place instead of putting it on the ballot as part of a 3 a.m. secret backroom budget deal,” Tobin said. “This lawsuit is purely tactical, very smart and well-implemented. I’m certain it will be effective.” [...]“This is the first of many steps to come that Free and Equal Elections will take to stop top-two,” said Tobin.
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Proposition 14 foes ask judge to block top-two primary
July 30, 2010
+ SHAREA coalition of voters and minor-party advocates has asked a judge to block the state from transitioning to a top-two primary, saying it disenfranchises voters.
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California primary election system challenged
July 30, 2010
+ SHAREThe lawsuit, filed in the Superior Court of San Fransisco County [official website], challenges the constitutionality of two provisions, one which disallows state election officials from counting write-in ballots while still providing a space for write-ins, and one that only allows primary candidates to list their party affiliations if they are members of one of six parties qualified for the ballot by the state. The complaint alleges that the write-in provisions violate the free speech, due process and equal protection rights of voters under the US and California [texts] constitutions.
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Lawsuit filed to challenge new top-two primary system
July 29, 2010
+ SHAREThe lawsuit claims SB6 violates the California Constitution because it bars the counting of write-in votes during general elections and allows only state-recognized parties to appear on the ballot.
One of the plaintiffs, Steve Chessin of Mountain View, said, “SB6 is a hastily and poorly written law that was the result of a political backroom deal to secure the tie-breaking vote to pass the 2009 state budget.”
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Suit over initiative abolishing party primaries
July 29, 2010
+ SHAREThe Green Party is planning a suit over the replacement of party primaries with the “top two” system, which is likely to exclude third-party candidates from the runoff ballot in virtually all contested elections. Democratic and Republican leaders, who opposed Prop. 14, are considering separate challenges.
Thursday’s suit in San Francisco Superior Court was more limited, targeting two sections of the new law. However, the plaintiffs asked a judge to block enforcement of Prop. 14 until legislation is passed to remove those two provisions.
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Calif. Governor Schwarzenegger Issues Statement on Lawsuit to Block Prop 14
July 29, 2010
+ SHAREGovernor Arnold Schwarzenegger today issued the following statement after a lawsuit was filed in the San Francisco Superior Court to block the implementation of the open primary system approved by California voters under Proposition 14:
“It comes as no surprise that Sacramento special interests are trying to overturn the government reforms Californians overwhelmingly support. I will fight these special interests at every turn to protect these reforms that will break through Sacramento’s dysfunction.”
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Lawsuit challenges legislation implementing open primary election
July 29, 2010
+ SHAREIf the lawsuit were to succeed, Proposition 14 would not be rolled back, but the legislature would have to pass a new bill in order to implement an open primary election — reversing the prior dynamic, where legislation in effect awaited voter approval.
“We’re going after a law the state passed,” Dutta said. “We’re not going after Proposition 14.”
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Suit filed to block state’s new open primary elections
July 29, 2010
+ SHAREThe complaint filed Wednesday calls the measure unconstitutional. The motion for injunction filed today seeks to block implementation of the new primary.
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Calif. open primary law faces legal challenge
July 29, 2010
+ SHARESix people who oppose California’s open primary law are suing to block the state from moving ahead with a new election process.
At the heart of the lawsuit is whether voters can write in a candidate’s name on a general election ballot.
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TEXT: Lawsuit filed to block Proposition 14, top-two primary
July 29, 2010
+ SHAREAs Capitol Alert reported last night, the plaintiffs argue that provisions in Senate Bill 6, accompanying legislation directing the execution of the new system, disenfranchise candidates from minor parties and voters.
Read the complaint, filed this morning in San Francisco Superior Court, here.
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Coalition files suit to stop Prop 14 implementation
July 28, 2010
+ SHARE“People who vote for write-in candidates in the general election will not have their vote counted. They’ll be throwing their votes away without even being told that by voting for a write-in your vote won’t count. And candidates who are from smaller parties will not be able to list their party of choice on the ballot when they run for office,” Dutta said.
Under prop 14 candidates from parties other than state-recognized parties are only allowed to state that they have “No Party Preference” on the ballot.
Dutta’s called that fundamentally “undemocratic”. He’s suing the Secretary of State and county election officials on behalf of candidates from the Socialist Action and the Reform Party and voters from four counties, including Los Angeles and Orange counties.
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Prop 14 foes plan lawsuit to block ‘top-two’ primary system
July 28, 2010
+ SHAREOpponents of Proposition 14 plan to file a lawsuit in San Francisco Superior Court tomorrow seeking to block the state from transitioning to a “top two” primary system. [...] The opponents said in a press release that the lawsuit will argue that the measure disenfranchises voters’ rights by eliminating write-in candidates and discriminates against candidates from parties not recognized by the state.
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Repairing the initiative process – in CA and SF
July 20, 2010
+ SHAREProponents of Proposition 14, which was bankrolled by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and big business, outspent opponents by 50:1 to pass a “top two” primary that is deform masked as reform.
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Politicians need to give us a reason to vote
July 10, 2010
+ SHAREProp 14 sounds radical, but it doesn’t go anywhere near far enough. We’re still left with a Tweedle Dee Dee and Tweedle Dee Dum choice between least undesirable candidates.
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Attack of the Killer Ballot Proposition!
July 8, 2010
+ SHAREHaving won over California voters, Peace’s movement is going national. New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has impaneled a commission that is, among other things, exploring an open primary initiative for New York City’s November ballot. (Bloomberg is the founder of Bloomberg LP, which owns Bloomberg News and Bloomberg Businessweek.) Voters elsewhere may soon be considering the option as well.
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Governor Terminator’s Parting Gift: CA Prop 14 Almighty
July 8, 2010
+ SHAREWithout much fanfare or debate, California voters, weary, frustrated and apparently getting more passive by the proposition, approved Prop 14 this past June.
