Steele on Electoral Reform - Part 2: Ballot Access

Ballot access requirements shall be the same for every candidate, irrespective of party affiliation. Equal access includes access to debates. This shall also apply to initiatives and referenda, and to primary elections. No state shall be eligible to receive federal funding in any amount or form absent its implementation of this provision in time for 2012 and thereafter.

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The most severe obstacle to fully-representative elections is the two-party tyranny tacit agreement to block all other parties from the ballot at all levels from local to federal. By mandating burdensome signature agreements and often frivolous pre-conditions, the two parties out of eight certified national committee parties (the others are Constitution, Green, Libertarian, Natural Law, Reform, and Socialist) have to fight for ballot access at every election, every cycle.

Congress has the power, in the case of federal elections, to mandate that all certified national parties appear on all state ballots for all federal elections; that Electoral College votes be apportioned as earned rather than winner take all; and that certified national party candidates appear in all debates within all federal elections.

Congress does not have the power to do this for state and local elections, but a Constitutional Amendment would be able to mandate such changes.

What we have right now is one of the more corrupt systems on the planet, hiding behind a cosmetic curtain of outrageous rhetoric and zero principles across every Senator and every Representative now serving, less a tiny handful.

This is where Occupy has inspired me. I now believe that this provision alone, among all of the others, can be forced on Congress in time to take effect for November 2012. All of the others should also be demanded and implemented, but this is the door opener. If the public is willing to confront each and every Member between now and the end of June, I see no reason why we cannot compel every Member, under threat of recall such as Montana has done so ably, to co-sponsor and vote for the legislation, for the Electoral Reform Act of 2012.

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Robert Steele is a former spy, honorary hacker, #1 Amazon reviewer for non-fiction, a former small business CEO, and founder of Earth Intelligence Network, a 501c3 committed to creating public intelligence in the public interest. This is the first part in an ongoing multi-part series “Robert Steele on Electoral Reform”. The views expressed are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of IVN or IVN partners.

Previous: Part 1: Process

Next: Part 3: Voting for The People

Full Series:

Introduction of a New Series

Part 1: Process

Part 2: Ballot Access

Part 3: Voting for The People

Part 4: Voting for Issues

Part 5: Debates

Part 6: Cabinet

Part 7: Representation

Part 8: Districts (Coming Soon)