Hotel Vegas
Election Rules Stymie Voters
RECEIVED Fri., Jan. 20, 2006
Dear Editor,
As the former manager for the Nader independent bid for president in Texas, I am all too familiar with the answers to the Jackson's questions [“Postmarks,” Jan. 20], and it is a testament to whom we have running our state that 99.9% of the population is as stymied as they are.
You cannot vote in the primary at all if you wish to sign the ballot access petition of a third party or independent candidate in any statewide race – via petition drives following the primaries. By voting in a particular primary in Texas, you are "locked in" as a member of that party for two years following. (Wouldn't a notice at the polling place saying such be wise so you can choose not to be excluded from supporting others before it's too late?)
This serves to make it that much harder for such candidates to gain ballot access via the second most stringent access laws in the nation (OK, it's a tad worse in terms of number of signatures required, though Texas has an earlier and shorter window in which to gather them). Without a lot of money to pay petitioners it is extraordinarily difficult to make it, so the two-party system holds firmly onto their power. (Guess who makes these laws?)
You can vote for any such candidates in the November general election if they meet the requirements of their petition drives. If not, then they will probably opt to be a "write-in" candidate, which means they will get next-to-no exposure, thus votes.
Lastly, you cannot sign both Friedman's and Strayhorn's petitions. No joke. Independents cannot support all independents in the same race (you also couldn't sign two different “minor” party petitions). Call your state legislator if that offends your democratic principals like it does mine!
As the former manager for the Nader independent bid for president in Texas, I am all too familiar with the answers to the Jackson's questions [“Postmarks,” Jan. 20], and it is a testament to whom we have running our state that 99.9% of the population is as stymied as they are.
You cannot vote in the primary at all if you wish to sign the ballot access petition of a third party or independent candidate in any statewide race – via petition drives following the primaries. By voting in a particular primary in Texas, you are "locked in" as a member of that party for two years following. (Wouldn't a notice at the polling place saying such be wise so you can choose not to be excluded from supporting others before it's too late?)
This serves to make it that much harder for such candidates to gain ballot access via the second most stringent access laws in the nation (OK, it's a tad worse in terms of number of signatures required, though Texas has an earlier and shorter window in which to gather them). Without a lot of money to pay petitioners it is extraordinarily difficult to make it, so the two-party system holds firmly onto their power. (Guess who makes these laws?)
You can vote for any such candidates in the November general election if they meet the requirements of their petition drives. If not, then they will probably opt to be a "write-in" candidate, which means they will get next-to-no exposure, thus votes.
Lastly, you cannot sign both Friedman's and Strayhorn's petitions. No joke. Independents cannot support all independents in the same race (you also couldn't sign two different “minor” party petitions). Call your state legislator if that offends your democratic principals like it does mine!
Debbie Russell
