2021 | 1st Amendment | Ideas | Numbers | IVA Page Guide

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Initial Publication: 01-01-01   Latest Revision: 12-14-20 rls

Status: 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 first OHIVA priority is to certify the large numbers of petition circulators needed in Ohio to participate in the Proactive Voter Movement.

(Your Voice)

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.

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 ohiva@cs2pr.us.

1. Create open Final Five Primary Elections and RCV (Ranked Choice Voting) General Elections in every state.₁ All eligible voters will vote by mail₂ in every state. Equal Political Speech under the law: All age eligible citizens will have the right to vote in all elections that are held in the place where they live. Up to Five candidates will be on all general election ballots for each office on the ballot. Primary Election winners will be the candidates with the five largest numbers of votes in each primary contest. General Election winners will be chosen by Ranked Choice Voting with all winners getting over 50% of the vote to win. All eligible voters will be able to cast a vote by mail in every election. The mail will provide a paper trail record of every vote cast. A paper record will provide a means to recount the vote and verify the eligibility of every vote cast.
   PUBLIC POLICY RESULT: A majority of eligible voters will be motivated to cast a vote for their favorite candidates in each election. Majority moderate voters will block extreme ideological bipartisan candidates from being elected to public office. To win, every candidate will need over 50% of the vote to win. Extreme establishment candidates will not win enough votes to appear on General Election Ballots. (Top of Page)

2. Ranked Choice Voting (RCV)₁ 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 cast for the remaining two candidates in the last decisive runoff election.
   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. This reform could be passed  before open "final five primaries" are passed.  (Top of Page)

3. Eliminate Dark Money from Candidate and Issue campaigns: This issue will require a Constitutional Amendment. A model amendment will eliminate corporate personhood and restrict all campaign funds to be contributions from eligible voters (can't vote, can't contribute!) A model amendment and Congressional Joint Resolution can be found at these links:
   https://cs2pr.us/cs2_28thAmendText.pdf
   https://cs2pr.us/Equal_Political_Speech.html https://cs2pr.us/Rich/CitizensUSHouseJointRes.pdf
   How do we get this done? Open to suggestions.
   PUBLIC POLICY RESULT: All public policy will be in the interests of voters, the 99.999%.

4. 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 registered voter membership to 5% to attain "Minor Party" status to provide open ballot access. The voters currently registered as "non-affiliated" are 70% to 85% of all registered 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 become possible for citizens who do not vote for or actively support the corrupt bipartisan two-party monopoly.  
   (Top of Page)

5. Assign Presidential Electoral Votes based on the proportion of popular votes won by each Presidential Candidate: In other words, Presidential Electoral Votes in each state would be split according to the popular vote for the various candidates for the office. One candidate would not be awarded the entire State block of Presidential Electoral Votes as required under nearly all current State laws.
   PUBLIC POLICY RESULT: A compromise would be achieved between the ideas of electing the President by popular vote or by the electoral college as specified in the U.S. Constitution. The need for a constitutional amendment to keep elections out of the courts to decide elections would be eliminated. The election of the President would be based on a more democratic process, decided by "the will of the people." The best features of both methods would be retained. The right of the states and of the voter would be equally  protected.  (Top of Page)

6. Ballot Access Petition Deadlines for Populist Nonpartisan Candidates Would be Moved to Within Ninety Days of the General Election in all fifty states. All Nonpartisan Candidates could by that means qualify for the General Election Ballot: All nominating petitions and statements of candidacy for all executive and legislative local, state, and federal public offices filed by qualified populist nonpartisan candidates under State law, will have a filing deadline within 90 days prior to the November General Election for the office or position petitioned for.
   PUBLIC POLICY RESULT: Voters of the various States will have more opportunities to nominate candidates not bought and paid for by political parties and other special interests. The 99.999% will have more possibility to elect representatives for their public policy interests in all fifty states.
   (Top of Page)

7. "Major" parties will have the same candidate valid signature and ballot access rules as required for candidates from "intermediate" and "minor" parties: So called "major" parties would not find support for their establishment candidates. Support for their candidates would have to be from local voter communities. Candidates will no longer be "picked" solely by party bosses.
   PUBLIC POLICY RESULT: No political party could force incumbent candidates onto the ballot without the support of majority constituent voters. The "majority" parties could no longer buy public offices with outside campaign funds supplied by special interests. Public policy will no longer be purchased by commercial interests.

8. 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 any issue (or a candidate) onto our local or State ballots. Any issue you see on local or State ballots will be there due to the broad public support of eligible voters, citizens.
   (Top of Page) 

    

   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)

Interim_Acting_Chair, Interim Acting Chair, OHIVA, Email

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(Your Voice) OHIVA PDF - Participation Form | (End of Page)
Contact a Nearby IVA and Host a Meet up in Your Home or Dorm
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OHIVA Pages Guide:

(IVA Priority) Certify Petition Circulators

(Your Voice) Manage IVA Web Pages

(Your Voice) Zoom Meet ups, Coffees, and Speakers

(Petitions/Web Pages) Nonpartisan Candidates on Ohio Ballots

(Initiative/Party) Active Petitions

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

(Your Privilege) Proactive Citizenship

(Directory) Ohio Local IVA Home Pages

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

(Download, Print) Ohio 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

(ohiva at cs2pr.us) OHIVA 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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2021 | 1st Amendment | Ideas | Numbers

IVA Page Guide | Top of Page

Local IVA Home Page | State IVA Home Page | National IVA Home Page

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Web Page Manager, Web_Page_Manager, Email, Hamilton County OHIVA
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Ballot Access for the Populist Voter Majority!
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