** FLORIDA GREAT-AMERICAN WRITE-IN DAY **

http://www.davidosborne.net ^ | 16 September 2002 | David C. Osborne

[davidosborne]

** FLORIDA GREAT-AMERICAN WRITE-IN DAY **

Deborah Called me this morning to bring me in on a grass roots effort to change the Florida Election law which essentially SHUT-OUT over 50% of the voters in the 4th Congressional district race... Being that there was no DEMOCRAT in the race this essentially was a defacto-primary for the Republicans... however ALL the registered Democrats.. many of whom are conservative ideologically did not have a voice due to the fact that a GREENPEACE candidate had registered as a WRITE-IN...

Deborah has asked me to help spread the word and make this years GENERAL ELECTION the GREAT AMERICAN WRITE-IN DAY we are asking ALL VOTERS to WRITE-IN the candidate name of their choice on the ballot.... ESPECIALLY IN THE CASE OF THE 4th Congressional District... sending a strong message to the Florida Legislature that voters do not wish to be SHUT-OUT of the primary when there is no candidate from their party seeking the nomination..

FReegards,

David

[davidosborne]

Pass it on........

[davidosborne]

Related LINKS......

http://www.davidosborne.net

http://www.fr.davidosborne.net

http://www.questforamerica.com

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/747783/posts

http://freerepublic.com/focus/news/743099/posts

http://freerepublic.com/focus/campaign2002/730331/posts

http://freerepublic.com/focus/campaign2002/743094/posts

http://freerepublic.com/focus/news/743473/posts

[3D-JOY]

I keep missing things in the post.

Democrats do not have a candidate for a given office.
They do not have a vote in a closed primary!

Their party failed them. Now they are looking for someone else to blame?

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

I have read this several times and it makes no sense.

Who is Deborah?

If the Democrats choose not to run a candidate, why should ALL voters write in a candidate? If conservative dems want a candidate, why don't they run their own or vote republican? How is it everyone's responsibility to write in a name on a ballot where there is already a candidate? Those voters are not shut out. Their party didn't run a candidate. They need to take it up with their party, not the legislature. It's not the legislature's duty to fill ballots.

[RippleFire]

What exactly is the problem and what solution are you proposing?

Because the Democrats did not have two candidates fight it out in the recent primary, you are suggesting that people write in the Green Candidate in the election?

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

Thanks 3D. I am glad I am not the only one who is mystified by this post. I think some people need to take a refresher course in civics.

[Sloth]

If I run your post through Babelfish, will it make any more sense?

[davidosborne]

Hopefully I can clear this up....

What happened in the 4th congressional district race is that a greenpeace candidate registered as a write-in... if you are not familiar with "North-Florida" politics,, you may not know that over 50% of the registered voters are registered Democrat however will often vote for the "conservative" Candidate..

I am suggesting that we ammend the Florida Election Law to make it not so incumbant friendly.... within the Republican Party there is FAR too much defference given to the incumbant and anyone attempting to compete for the party nomination such as in this case, is not given fair consideration...

I am asking all voters to WRITE-IN the name of their choice on their ballots.. even if the candidates name is already printed to voice your support to change this law..

[ZGuy]

Please take me off your ping list. I've asked twice privately, but apparently your freeper mail box must be broken. ;^)

[davidosborne]

I am sorry I made several assumptions that FReepers would understand what I am talking about... I hope this clears up what it is we are tyring to do here.

[davidosborne]

Because the Democrats did not have two candidates fight it out in the recent primary, you are suggesting that people write in the Green Candidate in the election?

HEAVANS NO !!

I am suggesting they write in the name of the candidate they wish to elect.. sort of a silent protest of the election law....

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

And writing in a name on a ballot will change the law how? Will the Florida State Legislature call an emergency session because people wrote in names?

You do understand that write in candidates take forever to tabulate. Why shouldn't folks who see their candidate on the ballot just put the check by their name? Why write it in?

[caltrop]

Florida law permits primary voters to vote in primaries which will determine who holds the office in question. In other words, if the Republicans have a primary and the Democrats and other parties haven't fielded any other candidates, thus giving the office to the winner of the Republican primary, then all registered voters may vote in that primary since it's their only opportunity to vote for that office. In this case, since a minor party candidate will appear on the ballot, Democrats couldn't vote in the Republican Primary.

I live in Florida and don't believe in open primaries anyway, so I think the system worked just fine. I'll work to make sure the legislature doesn't change the current system.

[davidosborne]

Did this explanation help..?

[js1138]

I'm sorry. I still don't understand. What horrible thing is going to happen in the general election as a result of this? Perhaps it would be clearer if you started with this and worked backwards.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

Exactly. In Michigan we didn't run candidates for several offices because they were unwinnable. If you want to write in a candidate that's fine, but you don't write in the winning candidate's name if it's already on the ballot.

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

No. I don't see why you feel the need to help the democrats. What is your agenda?

[davidosborne]

As I stated previously... The election law in this case served as INCUMBANT protection.... I think writting in names on the ballot vs. simply selecting the ONE name on the ballot in this case will send a signal that this system is very unfair... it also will really show WHO the people really want to represent them... this PRIMARY shut out over 50% of eligible voters !!.. and in the General election they will only have ONE name to choose... hmmmm.. I have a real problem with this?...

Respectfully, David

[alnick]

Am I understanding this correctly? This person seems to think that the State of Florida should force a democrat to run if a democrat doesn't voluntarily run?