1st Amendment | Ideas | Numbers | IVA Page Guide

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Initial Publication: 12-15-10   Latest Revision: 12-20-10 rls

Content Under Review: All local IVA web pages are under review to Edit content for accuracy of information within the Local IVA area and to Assure Compliance with Local and State Ballot Access and Election Law. This review notice will be removed from each individual Local Page when the text Details on that individual page are completely accurate within a high degree of reasonable certainty. 

Initial Date Page Published: 12-15-10   Latest Page Revision: 12-17-10

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 clifuc at cs2pr.us.

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Some Worthy Ballot Initiative Ideas

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1. Ohio Ballot access based on party membership: Determine Ohio political party category and ballot access status by the percentage of registered voters who register to vote as declared members of a specific political party. Ballot access and party status will no longer be based upon the percentage of votes received for a Party's Presidential and Gubernatorial candidates in even year general elections. The party categories of "minor," "intermediate" and "major" will be retained and will be defined by the same percentage of declared registered voters registered in the party as defined in current Ohio law as the percentage of votes needed to retain ballot access. Minor 5%, Intermediate 15% (?), and Major (25%) of the vote. Public Policy result: The Democratic Party and the Republican Party would lose their artificial "Major" party status that is based wholly upon political corruption. New parties could build membership to 5% to attain "Minor" party status to provide ballot access to "non-affiliated" voters. Difficult annual petition efforts would not be the only way for new parties to gain and maintain ballot access for the disenfranchised silent majority. Will make open competitive ballot access possible for citizens outside of the corrupt bipartisan monopoly.

2. Open primary elections to allow registered Independent Voters to participate in the primary process for all bipartisan primaries on the primary ballot. Voters registered in a political party would be restricted to voting in the primary of their chosen party. Public Policy result: A majority of voters will be motivated to vote. All voters could help choose every candidate who appears on November general election ballots. Input from majority moderate voters will decrease the extreme ideological bipartisanship of candidates currently chosen by our corrupt two-party system. All candidates will need the votes of moderate electors (80%) in order to be elected to any public office.
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3. Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) for all Ohio 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 US. Presidential Electors would be split according to the Ohio popular vote for the various candidates for the office. One candidate would not be awarded the entire Ohio block of Presidential Elector votes as under current Ohio 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 US 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 the voter would be protected.

5. Make Payment for Petition Signatures Illegal: Paying for petition signatures should be against the 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 Ohio ballots. Any issue you see on Ohio ballots will be there due to the broad public support of individual Ohio citizens.
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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 five 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)

edit> Paul Revere, Acting Clifton ~ UC IVA Chair, Email <edit

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(Your Voice) IVA e-ONLINE FORM | (End of Page)
Contact a Nearby IVA and Host a Meet up in Your Home or Dorm
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Local IVA Pages Guide:

(IVA Priority) Certify Petition Circulators

(Your Voice) Manage IVA Web Pages

(Your Voice) Meet ups, Coffees, and Speakers

(MEETING) (Saturday) (Monthly) (Not Required)

(Petitions/Web Pages) Non-partisan Candidates on Your Ballot

(Initiative/Party) Active Petitions

(Non-Partisan Candidate) Can You Stand for Public Office? (Qualify at 18 yrs.) (Gen X, Y Issues)

(Your Privilege) Active Citizenship

(Directory) Countywide Local IVA Home Page Links 

(Directory) Precinct Local IVA Home Page Links

(Download, Print) Local IVA Documents

(A Civics 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 Ohio Ballot Initiative Ideas Page 

(Ohio Income Tax Credit) $50 for your Political Use

(clifuc at cs2pr.us) Local IVA Email 

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(Directory) Ohio IVA Central Committee (Members Needed — Your Voice?)

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 Local IVA Home Page | Ohio IVA Home Page | National IVA Home Page
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edit> Web Page Manager, Tom Paine, Email, Clifton ~ UC IVA <edit
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A political home for our 80% Non-Partisan Majority!
All Independent and Minor Party Voters Welcome!
New Voters Too!
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