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Content Under Review: All new Local IVA and State IVA Web Pages are under review to Edit content for accuracy and to Assure Compliance with State Ballot Access and Election Law. This review notice will be removed from each individual State IVA Web Page when the content on that individual page is completely accurate within a high degree of reasonable certainty. Initial Date Published: 12-28-10 Latest Update: 12-26-10 |
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Independent Voters Alliance New York State (NYIVA) OH Ballot Initiative Ideas Page 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 New York. Anticipated public policy results are provided for each idea. The first IVA priority is to certify the large numbers of petition circulators needed in New York to participate in the non-partisan political movement.Ballot Access for statewide initiatives in New York requires 100,000* valid signatures. Then, if the New York legislature votes against the issue, another 100,000* signatures can force the issue onto the New York ballot. Big numbers of Valid signatures are required. Only very important issues are worth the effort. * The exact number is dependent upon voter turnout in previous elections. Makes me wonder how Riverboat Gambling made it to the ballot, in 1996? One possible answer: Gaming = Gambling = Organized Crime. That is one point of view. I am glad it failed. Gaming is gambling, is a social problem. A huge chunk of money was spent to gather signatures and to promote the issue, both pro and con. Paying for petition signatures probably needs to be outlawed for the very same reason that paying for votes on election day is outlawed. Payments for votes and for petition signatures corrupt the democratic process. 1st Amendment Rights? Congress shall make no law ... abridging ... the right of the people ... to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Twenty-seven states make no allowance to petition to initiate ballot referendums. The grievance in those states is Legislation without Representation by a two-party monopoly (dictatorship) with no legal means for the people to petition effectively. (Ideas) (Your Voice) 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 nyiva@cs2pr.us.------------------------------------------------------------------------ Some Worthy Ballot Initiative Ideas ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) for all New York 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. Apply Proportional Representation to select Presidential Electors for the office of President of the US. Presidential Electors would be split according to the New York popular vote for the various candidates for the office. One candidate would not be awarded the entire New York block of Presidential Elector votes as under current New York 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. 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 New York ballots. Any issue you see on New York ballots will be there due to the broad public support of individual New York citizens. 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 New York. 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 New York political system. Even ten thousand well-motivated petition circulators across the state of New York 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) |
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Ballot access petitions will be available on IVA web pages and other web pages for use by non-partisan independent citizens. Freedom is participation in power. Be an active petition circulator and Election Day participant. Be an Active Citizen in your voting precinct. A Little Effort — A Lot of Liberty Welcome to the non-partisan political movement. RICH STEVENSON, Interim Acting Chair, NYIVA, Email --------------------------------------------------------------------- NYIVA Pages Guide: (IVA Priority) Certify Petition Circulators (Your Voice) Manage IVA Web Pages (Your Voice) Meet ups, Coffees, and Speakers (Petitions/Web Pages) Non-partisan Candidates on New York Ballots (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) New York Local IVA Home Pages (Directory) New York IVA Central Committee (Members Needed — Your Voice?) (Download, Print) New York 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 New York Ballot Initiative Ideas Page (Ohio Income Tax Credit) $50 for your Political Use (NYiva at cs2pr.us) NYIVA Email --------------------------------------------------------------------- 1st Amendment | Ideas | Numbers IVA Page Guide | Top of Page Content Notice Local IVA Home Page | State IVA Home Page | National IVA Home Page ------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Initial
Publication: 12-28-10 Latest Revision:
01-08-11 rls