KW: Want to clear up long voting lines at the polls and make Republican Commissioners of Elections/Secretaries of State add new voting machines and better service?
Solution: Use the long voting lines, that extend passed the measured out “electioneering zone” in front polling places, to distribute literature for competing third party candidates.
While it is probably not the case that third party voting can be considered to take away votes from major party candidates under a clear, formula system, there can be some speculation that very right-leaning candidates and parties, will take a lot of votes away from Republican John McCain, and that candidates and parties with a strong civil rights component might strip away some moderate Republicans.
So, someone should find all the states where there is a Republican Election Commissioner/Secretary of State, and/or a Republican hope to win the state, and if there are long lines, go flier for the following candidates, listed in preference order:
1. Libertarian Party (which philosophy applies to many Republican voters)
Candidate: Bob Barr
2. Constitution Party (which applies to very conservative Republican voters)
Candidate: Chuck Baldwin
3. America’s Independent Party (the candidate mixes religion and patriotism, and states it is conservative)
Candidate: Alan Keyes
4. Reform Party (fiscally conservative)
Ted Weill/Frank McEnulty
5. Ralph Nader (whose civil rights and government accountability plank appeals to some Republican voters)
This strategy is an example of how to use third parties as a tool to shape and reform the electoral system. When the Democrats are not strong enough or willing enough to defend their own voters, civic minded third party activists can take action to protect the vote, and to pressure election officials to do the right thing. Another fine example of this kind of third party electoral heroism happened in 2004, when the Libertarian Party presidential candidate and the Green Party presidential candidate used their standing in the race to go “over John Kerry’s head” and ask for a recount in Ohio.
Filed under: 3rd party, Action Alert!, campaign 2008, election, Election 2008, elections, Political Websites, presidential, presidential race, third party, US Politics Tagged: | board of elections, conservative, lines, literature, Polling Place, republican, Secretary of State, vote, voting
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