On Wednesday, the New York Times reported that the Democratic Party has assembled a “new team of lawyers” tasked with blocking third-party candidates from appearing on the ballot.
They really aren’t. Each state has different rules for getting on the ballot, and there isn’t a lot of wiggle room on them. Most are in the form of “$x% signatures of $y criteria”. For instance, 5% of the number that voted in the last gubernatorial election. Plus some paperwork and the like. Third party candidates have trouble meeting these requirements.
The only thing here is that the Democrats are claimed to be watching these efforts to ensure that other parties are following these rules. They’ll be watching Republican candidates as well, but that’s unlikely to have any effect.
I would love a different system, such as RCV, but this is the system we have. You can probably start a petition to create it in your state, but the process varies wildly.
When large corporations make concerted efforts to put up legal road blocks and speed bumps for people, workers, and smaller businesses, that’s widely accepted as a systemic injustice leading to a consolidation of power. But when it’s “your” political party doing it to smaller parties with the express aim of winning an election, it’s just keeping everything fair? The only reason anybody can excuse this behavior is because it’s the side they want to win.
I am ok with Republicans doing the same thing. The rule of law is important, and keeping everyone to the same standard (that of the law; I know that some states have reduced requirements for smaller parties) is in everyone’s best interest.
They really aren’t. Each state has different rules for getting on the ballot, and there isn’t a lot of wiggle room on them. Most are in the form of “$x% signatures of $y criteria”. For instance, 5% of the number that voted in the last gubernatorial election. Plus some paperwork and the like. Third party candidates have trouble meeting these requirements.
The only thing here is that the Democrats are claimed to be watching these efforts to ensure that other parties are following these rules. They’ll be watching Republican candidates as well, but that’s unlikely to have any effect.
I would love a different system, such as RCV, but this is the system we have. You can probably start a petition to create it in your state, but the process varies wildly.
When large corporations make concerted efforts to put up legal road blocks and speed bumps for people, workers, and smaller businesses, that’s widely accepted as a systemic injustice leading to a consolidation of power. But when it’s “your” political party doing it to smaller parties with the express aim of winning an election, it’s just keeping everything fair? The only reason anybody can excuse this behavior is because it’s the side they want to win.
I am ok with Republicans doing the same thing. The rule of law is important, and keeping everyone to the same standard (that of the law; I know that some states have reduced requirements for smaller parties) is in everyone’s best interest.