Baldwin Urges Voters To Re-register To Aid AIP Candidate Nightingale

[Ayatollahgondola]

This is going to be interesting:

http://www.ballot-access.org/2010/01...aip-primaries/

On January 13, the state central committee of the American Independent Party (Keyes faction) held a conference call meeting, and voted overwhelmingly to tell the California Secretary of State that the party no longer wishes independents to vote in its primaries for public office. Attendance was 27 people. California election law lets each party decide for itself whether to let independents vote in its primaries for public office. The AIP had been the only ballot-qualified party, other than the Democratic and Republican Parties, to let independents vote in any of its primaries for public office.

The commentary below is also interesting

[Twoller]

Yes, I read some of the commentary and I see once again the passion pointlessly associated with the primaries. If the AIP wants the independents to get excited about their political party, without actually asking them to join their party, the primaries are not the place to do it.

Once again, let us be reminded, the primaries are not to elect the governor, they are to elect the candidate within the various political parties that the various parties wish to see on the ballot this November. This confusion is utterly pointless. If we could get rid of the primaries, the parties could easily take care of the problems themselves. The idea of letting people outside of some party take a role in electing their candidate would naturally be seen as what it is: Absurd.

Get rid of the primaries, we don't need them and they only add confusion to the political process. It is none of any government's business -- city, state or federal -- what your political party is. Keeping track of the political party of voters ought to be declared unconstitutional and removed from practice nation wide.

[Ayatollahgondola]

From the California Secretary of State:

* American Independent Party Affiliated with America's Independent Party *

* * State Chairman: Markham G. Robinson State Vice Chairman: Mark J. Seidenberg State Headquarters 476 Deodara St., Vacaville CA 95688 707-359-4884 [email protected] State Committee I.D.# 742371 To: Elections Division Date: January 19,2010 from: State Chainnan of the American Independent Party, Markham Robinson Re: Decline to State (DTS) Letter

Dear Secretary of State Debra Bowen, In compliance with Senate Bill 28, I, the Chairman of the American Independent Party, Markham Robinson, do hereby certify that the State Central Committee of the American Independent Party voted on January 13,2010 to not allow Decline to State Voters to do any of the following:
1. Vote for American Independent Party candidates in any Primary Election;
2. Vote for American Independent Party County Central Committee candidates in any Primary Election;
3. Vote for Delegates to any American Independent Party Convention;
4. Vole for Electors for President or Vice President (usually called Electoral College electors) or Presidential Nominating Committee candidates;
5. Sign or circulate any petition for Signatures in Lieu for American Independent Party candidates;
6. Sign or circulate any nominating petitions for American Independent Party candidates;
All references to voting above apply equally to Absent Voters as well as to those appearing at polling places to vote. In summary the American Independent Party chooses to prohibit any non-American Independent Party voter from participating in the above activities. In common parlance we choose to Close our Primary and other specifically American Independent functions listed above to any but American Independent Party voters. We hereby Close to the participation of any voter who is not registered an American Independent any function previously open to Decline to State voters. Under penalty of perjury I solemnly affirm, certify and swear to the truth of all the foregoing. Markham Robinson, Chairman of the American Independent Party State Central Committee Executed in Vacaville California in Solano County on: Dale: J ~41, '"l.-tlt 0

[Kathy63]

Closing the primary to anyone but party members is a very wise move!

Good for him.

[Twoller]

Why not opt out of the primaries altogether and run the election internally? Why does the state government have to run the primary for the Independent Party or any party at all?

[Kathy63]

Originally Posted by Twoller

Why not opt out of the primaries altogether and run the election internally? Why does the state government have to run the primary for the Independent Party or any party at all?

Resources for one thing.

[Twoller]

Originally Posted by Kathy63

Resources for one thing.

Do you mean that political parties don't have the resources to run their own elections? That doesn't work. The government hasn't always run primary elections.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_elections

A primary election (nominating primary), also referred to simply as a primary, is an election in which voters in a jurisdiction select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the following general election. Primaries are common in the United States, where their origins are traced to the progressive movement. There, primary elections are conducted by government on behalf of the parties. Elsewhere in the world, the nomination of candidates is usually the responsibility of the political party organizations themselves and does not involve the general public.

Besides primaries, other ways that parties may select candidates include caucuses, conventions, and nomination meetings. Historically, Canadian political parties chose their candidates in party meetings in each constituency. Canadian party leaders are elected at leadership conventions, although some parties have abandoned this practice in favour of one member, one vote systems.

It is not even necessary that a political party run an election to determine who their nominee is. This is strictly the internal concern of that political party. Political parties are private organizations and have no lawful oversight from government anywhere.