Misnamed "Voter Choice Open Primary" proposition falsely promises more choices

The Voter Choice Open Primary" ballot proposition heading for the November ballot will severely limit voters' choice in statewide general elections, and may even curtail choices in the primaries, or what remains of them. If passed, Californians would have the least choice of voters in any state in the nation.

PANORAMA CITY, CA (PRWEB) March 29, 2004 --Now that it appears likely that the "Voter Choice Open Primary" initiative will qualify for the November ballot, California voters should know the consequences of passing the measure. In a pact Faust would be proud of, voters will gain a few more options in the primary by signing away nearly all their real choices in the general election.

Under the proposal, all voters, regardless of party affiliation, would receive the same "open primary" ballot for statewide offices. Anyone could vote for a candidate from any party - that's the "more choice" carrot supporters will hold in front of the public in a bait-and-switch scenario reminiscent of the recently failed Prop. 56. However, only the two candidates receiving the most votes would appear in the general election, even if they are both from the same party, which means many voters will have no options come November.

Under the current system, voters usually get four choices in the general election for any given office, including minor party candidates and independents. Under the proposed system the general election will see not just a reduction in the number of candidates, but ultimately in the number of ideas represented. As reported in the March 27 edition of the San Francisco Chronicle, the initiative's backers recognize the chilling effect the proposed system would have on diverse ideas making it to the November elections; they hope and expect that centrist candidates will be favored, to the exclusion of liberals and conservatives.

Aaron Starr, chairman of the California Libertarian Party, referring to Republicans and Democrats, said, "If this deceptive proposal passes, Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum will be even more indistinguishable tomorrow than they are today."

Duf Sundheim, chairman of the state Republican Party, who is opposed to the proposition, predicted the proposed system will reduce primary choices as well: "If I have four Republicans running against two Democrats, I'm going to have to knock off three of those four because it's in my best interest." Art Torres, state Democratic Party chairman, also opposes the measure.

In order to avoid potentially splitting their own vote, each political party will only place one candidate on the primary ballot for each office, completely subverting the current concept of primary elections. More decisions will be made by the party chiefs (think smoke filled rooms"), and less by the broader base of the party's registered voters.

For voters looking for new ideas from third parties, the effects of the initiative passing would be devastating. Richard Winger, noted ballot law expert and editor of Ballot Access News (http://www.ballot-access.org/) for the last 19 years, analyzed 408 California primaries and special elections and discovered that in no case would a third party candidate have made the general election under the proposed rules, except those cases where only one major party candidate was entered in the primary race. This includes instances where a third-party candidate eventually won the election under the existing rules.

Analyzing open primary laws from the 23 states that have adopted one, Winger said, "The initiative would leave Californians with fewer choices on their November ballots than enjoyed by the voters of any other state. No other state restricts the general election ballot to two candidates." He also noted that four months ago, "New York City voters turned down a nearly identical proposal."

Naturally then, minor parties and anyone opposed to real choice are universally opposed to the measure. The 18-year-old Coalition for Free and Open Elections, comprised of the Libertarian, Constitution, Green, Natural Law, Reform, and Socialist parties, and The Committee for a Unified Independent Party, has issued a statement opposed to the initiative.

Starr, referring to a resolution passed by the Libertarian Party of California Executive Committee late last year said, "The Libertarian Party of California expresses its opposition to the Voter Choice Open Primary initiative and its support for Instant Runoff Voting as a preferred solution to the concerns of the initiative's proponents."

The Libertarian Party of California supports Instant Runoff Voting as an alternative that would give citizens more choices by encouraging a broader representation of political ideas. IRV would ensure that the winner of an election was selected by a majority of the voters without restricting the general election ballot to just two candidates.

About the Libertarian Party of California
The Libertarian Party of California has more than fifty public officeholders statewide. Libertarians believe in personal freedom in both social and economic spheres, and in government small enough to protect those freedoms.

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