Seawytch
Information isnt Advocacy
California's Ballot Experiment
In a few weeks, California will hold its primary election. Not much news will be made, since the two major parties' presidential candidates are already known. But this election will be different for Californians in a major way. Because when the general election rolls around in November, there will likely be no third parties on the ballot for voters to choose from. Furthermore, in some races, there may be only one party represented on the general election ballot. [...]
The voters passed Proposition 14, which mandated a scheme known as "Top 2" voting. Explaining it is pretty simple, but what it could mean is a lot more complicated. In the primary election, all parties are free to put up as many candidates as they like for any particular office, as usual. But only the top two vote-getters -- from all parties combined -- will advance to the general election. In essence, the primary becomes the general election, and the general election becomes a runoff vote between the top two candidates.
While the presidential race is exempt from this scheme (presidential candidates from all parties will be on the general election ballot, as usual), most other offices will use "Top 2" voting: U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, and all state races (legislative and executive). What this means, for example, is that Dianne Feinstein may be facing a fellow Democrat on the ballot this November, with no Republican (or Green, or Libertarian) on the ballot at all.
In a few weeks, California will hold its primary election. Not much news will be made, since the two major parties' presidential candidates are already known. But this election will be different for Californians in a major way. Because when the general election rolls around in November, there will likely be no third parties on the ballot for voters to choose from. Furthermore, in some races, there may be only one party represented on the general election ballot. [...]
The voters passed Proposition 14, which mandated a scheme known as "Top 2" voting. Explaining it is pretty simple, but what it could mean is a lot more complicated. In the primary election, all parties are free to put up as many candidates as they like for any particular office, as usual. But only the top two vote-getters -- from all parties combined -- will advance to the general election. In essence, the primary becomes the general election, and the general election becomes a runoff vote between the top two candidates.
While the presidential race is exempt from this scheme (presidential candidates from all parties will be on the general election ballot, as usual), most other offices will use "Top 2" voting: U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, and all state races (legislative and executive). What this means, for example, is that Dianne Feinstein may be facing a fellow Democrat on the ballot this November, with no Republican (or Green, or Libertarian) on the ballot at all.
I foresee some extreme "buyers remorse"...
