1st Amendment | Ideas | Numbers | IVA Page Guide

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Initial Publication: 11-25-11   Latest Revision: 03-01-17 rls

Only twenty-three states allow ballot initiative referendums. The other twenty-seven states have no legal provision for popular legislative initiatives. The page below was written to give some ideas for initiatives that could be useful in many states. All the ideas are specifically appropriate for Ohio. Anticipated public policy results are provided for each idea.

The ideas list presented for each state will differ according to the needs of each State. In the twenty-seven States with no initiative process, a strategy will need to be created to force the D's and R's to alter the law to allow initiatives. Those states will have to elect enough nonpartisan independents to public office to change the law to include the right to initiate referendums. 

The first IVA priority is to certify the large numbers of petition circulators needed in each state to participate in the nonpartisan ballot access movement.

(Your Voice)

(Text below based upon Ohio Election Law)

I hope our issues for initiative and referendum are about important reforms to our electoral and political systems. Together, we can build a more democratic republic. Have an idea for initiative and referendum? Email to usaiva@cs2pr.us.

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Some Worthy Ballot Initiative Ideas

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(Some text below based mainly upon Ohio Election Law)

1. Political Party ballot access based upon registered membership:  Base Ohio political party ballot access status and category on the percentage of voters registered as members of the specific political party. Ballot access and party category will no longer be based upon the percentage of total votes cast for a Party's Presidential and Gubernatorial candidates in even year General Elections. The "minor," "intermediate" and "major" party categories will be retained, but will now be based upon the percentage of registered voters who choose to register as party members; Minor Party 5%, Intermediate Party 15%, and Major Party 25%. Public Policy result: The Democratic Party and the Republican Party would lose their artificial "Major" party status that is based wholly upon monopoly control of closed elections. New parties could build membership to 5% to attain "Minor Party" status to provide continuous ballot access for majority "non-affiliated" voters. Difficult annual petition efforts would no longer be the only way for new parties to gain and maintain ballot access for the silent disenfranchised majority. Open ballot access will be possible for citizens who do not vote for or actively support the corrupt bipartisan two-party monopoly.

2. Open primary elections will allow registered Independent Voters to vote in the Primary Elections of all political parties, to include the primaries for the bipartisan monopoly parties. Voters registered in a political party would be restricted to voting in the primary of their chosen party. Public Policy result: A majority of registered voters will be motivated to choose every candidate elected to appear on General Election ballots in November. Centrist voters will exclude extreme ideological bipartisan candidates from being elected to public office. All candidates will need votes from the 80% centrist voter majority to be elected to public office. (Top of Page)

3. Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) for all State elections for public office, national, state, and local. Each voter expresses his or her opinion of every candidate in each election for public office. Every candidate is elected by a majority of the votes between the remaining two candidates in the last decisive instant runoff. Public Policy result: Every candidate would win office with a majority of the vote. Most importantly, in a field of candidates, the voters' first choice and the popularity of each candidate would be expressed with no "wasted votes" cast. Voters would not be forced to vote for the "lesser of two evils." More voters would be inclined to participate. With a reason to cast a positive vote, turnout at the polls would climb to a healthy 60%-90% of registered voters. Also, a much greater percentage of age eligible non-voters would become registered voters and actually vote.

4. Apply Proportional Representation to select Presidential Electors for the office of President of the U.S. Presidential Electors would be split according to the State popular vote for the various candidates for the office. One candidate would not be awarded the entire State block of Presidential Elector votes as under current State law. Public Policy result: A compromise would be achieved between the ideas of electing the President by popular vote and by the electoral college as specified by the U.S. Constitution. The need for a constitutional amendment would be eliminated. The election of the President would be done on a more democratic basis. The best features of both methods would be retained. The rights of the states and of the voter would be protected.

5. Make Payment for Petition Signatures Illegal: Paying for petition signatures should be against State law, every bit as much as buying votes on Election Day. Buying ballot access commercializes free speech and weakens grassroots democracy. Public Policy result: No political, commercial, or criminal organization will be able to buy an issue onto our State ballots. Any issue you see on State ballots will be there due to broad public support of individual State citizens.
   (Top of Page)

6. Lengthen Ballot Access Petition Deadlines for Nonpartisan Independent Candidates: All nominating petitions and statements of candidacy for all executive and legislative local, state, and federal public offices filed by qualified electors currently known as "non-affiliated" voters under Ohio law, will have a filing deadline 90 days prior to the General Election designated for the office or position petitioned for. Public Policy result: Electors of the State of Ohio will have more opportunities to vote for candidates not bought and paid for by political parties and other special interests. Political speech will have more possibility of expression in popular political participation.

Ohio Initiative Numbers: Ten valid signatures from 10,000 petition circulators (100,000 valid signatures) nearly equals the number of valid signatures needed for statewide ballot initiative petitions in Ohio. Ten times that number of petition circulators, 100,000, would lower the number of valid signatures needed per petition circulator to only one or two signatures. Signatures from a spouse and a neighbor can transform our world. Once we have 100,000 IVA certified motivated petition circulators, we can use ballot initiatives to easily reform our Ohio political system. Even ten thousand well-motivated petition circulators across the state of Ohio can begin to accomplish ballot access miracles. Only twenty-three states have ballot initiative laws. Twenty-seven do not. Each state requires different numbers. (Top of Page)  (Your Voice)

RICH STEVENSON, Interim Acting Chair, USAIVA, Email

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(Your Voice) IVA pdf-Participation Form | (End of Page)
Contact a Nearby IVA and Host a Meet up in Your Home or Dorm

IVA Leader Page
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USAIVA Pages Guide:

(IVA Priority) Certify Petition Circulators

(Your Voice) Manage IVA Web Pages

(Your Voice) Meet ups, Coffees, and Speakers

(Petitions/Web Pages) Nonpartisan Presidential Candidates on State Ballots

(Nonpartisan Candidate) Can You Stand for Public Office? (Qualify at 18 yrs.) (Gen X, Y Invited)

(Your Privilege) Proactive Citizenship

(Directory) State IVA Home Pages

(Directory) State IVA Central Committees

(Download, Print) USAIVA Documents

(A Civics100 Lesson) Political ID Card

(Links to Learning) Study Hall, Today's Politics

(Positive, Creative Blogs) Sounding Board (Improve the Politics We Live With)

(Referenda) THIS PAGE USAIVA Ballot Initiative Ideas Page 

(usaiva at cs2pr.us) USAIVA Email

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Model State IVA Web Pages
(Ballot Access) Ohio IVA 
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Model Local IVA Web Pages (County, Community, precinct, etc.)
(Ballot Access) Hamilton County OH 
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