On October 29, the California Secretary of State released new registration data, as of October 18. This was the first data since the September 3 tally.
The percentages for each qualified party, and for the Reform Party as well, are below. The first percentage is the September 3 tally; the second is the new tally:
Democratic: 44.32%, 44.08%
Republican: 30.94%, 31.02%
American Independent: 2.35%, 2.39%
Green: .658%, .659%
Libertarian: .51%, .53%
Peace & Freedom: .333%, .334%
Reform: .139%, .141%
Independents and others, 20.74%, 21.21%
It seems odd that American Independent has more than 1 percent, let alone more than 2 percent. Do you think this is because people think they’re registering as an “independent” voter, and don’t realize that’s actually “Decline to State”?
When I worked at the polls in June someone came in and asked for an “independent” ballot and another pollworker gave him an American Independent ballot. There was also that story some time back about Gavin Newsom’s wife being registered as an American Independent, and she said she thought she was registering as an independent voter.
Pretty much everyone who comments on this thinks that Rosa is right. As a poll worker I have had similar conversations with voters. In fact, California has changed the wording of the voter registration form in an effort to clarify that the AIP is a political party. Voters are now asked whether or not they want to affiliate with a party and then, if so, which one.
At the same time, it is not all that odd that the AIP has a substantial number of registrants who know what they are signing up for. There are some very conservative people out there.
Several years ago, the California registration card was altered to make it abundantly clear that the American Independent Party is a political party. I think lots of people like the idea of joining a political party that holds itself out (through its name) as a party for independent voters, or a party of independent-minded people.
That could very well be the case, I think. People checking the wrong box is evidently something that happens quite a bit, going by what most people commenting on this subject say and also by using one’s imagination to figure out what is going on (just as you have done). I do not remember for sure if there has been any official research into this phenomenon or not (that would be more helpful, actually). Richard Winger would know that, of course.
One does have to give much credit to the Party founders for being clever enough to utilize that name. It is quite probable, I am guessing, that if the Party used the name Constitution Party (the name of the national Party with which one faction of AIP-CA claims is the state party’s affiliation), the actual number of registrants would be closer to that of the Libertarian Party of California.
What Richard (#3) wrote makes a lot of sense to me. I think that that explains much of the higer percentage of AIP-CA registrants. If that is true, the the Party would still have a much higher percentage than the Green Party and the others – even given the fact that some people check the wrong box on the form. I believe that that still goes on. Many people who do not take enough time to study politics to know what is going on are not going to take a sufficient amount of time to carefully read the registration forms either. Sad, but true.
Some counties, Santa Cruz in particular, have made a deliberate attempt to identify “independents” as distinct from both AIP and DTS voters.
Santa Cruz now has 6.13% Other voters, 8 times the statewide average of 0.74%, and almost twice the second highest county of Fresno. Moreover, in the past 2 years Santa Cruz has increased by 2.19%.
There are a couple of counties that have had a very strong increase in the share of other voters over the past two years, Alameda and San Benito, increasing from 0.77% to 1.53%, and 0.49% to 1.07%.
It is possible that these two counties may have applied a more aggressive classification to new registrations.
#3 The cards now have a DTS option first, followed by the qualified parties, and finally a write-in blank.
SB 6 (activated in conjunction with the passage of Proposition 14) codifies this current practice for “No Party Preference” voters.
Your lawyer makes the astonishing claim that because there is now a requirement that a voter may actively select No Party Preference that a voter may no longer specify a party preference for a non-qualified party.
But there is no evidence that an explicit DTS option prevents voters registering with non-qualified parties. And in fact after a period of decline as the number of NLP and Reform voters gradually decline, the number of Other voters has been increasing.
Too bad the AIP doesn’t have 4.5% in voter registration, like the Independent American Party of Nevada does.
How about a zillion page list of possible parties ??
Each voter can write-in the number of the Party ???
Which party hack devil party will have a 666 number ???
With all this talk about the AIP. What have they done lately?
Let’s stop wasting time arguing over the fact that many California voters think they are actually registering “independent” when they inadvertantly are registering as members of the AIP.
My question is “so what?”
The AIP wants “independent” votes to join their ranks whether they do it knowingly or unknowlingly. You Libertarians, Greens and Peace and Freedomites are just jealous because these “independents” don’t inadvertantly register in your respective parties.
Get a life and get over it.
The day is coming soon, when the right leadership for the AIP will come along and some prominent persons will run for office under the AIP banner. If the Libertarians, Greens, and Peace and Freedomites had any real political savvy, they’d work within the AIP Primary where their candidates would be viewed and taken more serious by the “independents.”
What a ticket such could be. A “libertarian” for Governor, a “green” for U.S. Senator, and a “peace and freedomite” for Congress. Oh well, we can keep dreaming.
As a member of the Peace and Freedom Party of California, I have to agree with “An Alabama Independent” that it is not of great importance if some people register into the American Independent Party of California inadvertently (for the reasons that I indicated in my comments above – #4 & #5). I do think that it does happen to some extent, nevertheless. Just remember Murphy’s Law #8: “By making something absolutely clear, somebody will be confused.”
What the writer mentioned above proposes for AIP-CA may or may not come to pass, depending on (#1) if the smaller parties lose ballot access due to the “top-two” system (if it holds up in the courts); and (#2) what those smaller parties decide to do if they do, indeed, lose ballot access.
Actually, PFP-CA was something like what the writer propsed in 1978. I remember that the state officers ticket was headed by a libertarian (the very charming Elizabeth Keathley – or Keathly, I’m not sure which spelling is correct)and pretty much alternated socialist and libertarian down the line. I voted for all of them, regardless of ideology. Later on, the socialist faction took over control of the Party.
Please allow me to make a correction in my comment (#12) above. The year was 1974, not 1978, when the PFP-CA slate was libertarian and socialist.
I appreciate Phil Sawyer’s remarks and hope he and members of other 3rd parties there in California don’t take my “scathing” remarks about them as “personal.” I am only trying to get all 3rd partisans to wake up to reality. When 3rd parties compete against one another, they only split up the real “protest” vote against the Dems and Reps.
Just as the Republicans and Democrats have “conservative,” “moderate,” and “liberal” wings (probably more so in the Democratic party than the GOP) we “Independents”, i.e. Libertarians, Greens, Peace and Freedomites, Constitutionalists, and others have got to understand we are not going to win or have any major influence until we demostrate some strength.
California has always set trends for the nation. Why don’t you folks do so and show 3rd parties in the rest of the nation how “working under the same independent umbrella” can make us all stronger? This doesn’t mean you have to abolish your respective state committees – just turn them into “caucuses” to pick the best candidate to run in the AIP Primary,or use them as a committee to select representative of the “party” to meet with representatives of the other “parties” to compose a “liaison committee” to see if prior agreements can be reached before an AIP Primary is held so there will be an understanding, for example, the “Greens” will nominate a candidate for Governor, the “Constitutionalists” will nominate a candidate for U.S. Senator, the “Libertarians” will nominate candidates for Congress, and the nominations for other offices will all be “pot luck.” In other words, whoever wins the nomination for a state assembly or a lower state-wide office will be considered the “best” candidate.
You folks in California have the best opportunity to set the example for 3rd parties in the remaining states. I hope political savvy will win out over what obviously has not worked in the past.
TO: Cody Quirk
The Registration of the American Independent Party is now 413,032. It is way up from when AIP left the Constitution Party in June 2008. Both Ed Noonan and
Markham Robinson has done a great job as AIP Chairmen.
The LP is down in registration from ten years ago. Way
down in registration. The California Constitution Party
head by Don Grundmann now has a registration of 163.
I expect Chelene Nightingale will get such a small vote
it will make the party look flat. The State Convention
of the AIP last June voted not to have a candidate for
Governor of California. Therefore, a vote for Nightingale for Governor will be worthless and a wasted
vote.
Sincely, Mark Seidenberg, Vice Chairman, American Independent Party.
P.S. the next hearing in KING vs. ROBINSON will be on
March 11, 2011 at 9:00 a.m. at the Fairfield Courthouse.
TO: Cody Quirk
In your post # 8, you said it was to bad that AIP did not meet the high registration of IAP in Nevada at 4.5
percent.
In California some counties are more active than others
within the AIP. In one county registration exceeds 5%.
In fact I used to reside in that county, when I was a
college student.
Several counties in California have Registration in excess of 4.5%. Including Yuba County, home the current
State Chairman of the AIP, viz., Nathan Sorenson and the 2006 – 2008 State Chairman Ed Noonan who is running
for the United States Senate.
My belief the reason registration is down in Los Angeles
County is the AIP has poor quality of candidates there,
like Chelene Nightingale and James King. We have far better candidates in Orange County with Robert Lauten
(running for California Treasurer) and Lawrence Beliz
(running for California Controller). Even San Diego County has better class of candidates with Diane Templin
(Attorney General) and D. Clark (US House of Representatives).
Sincerely, Mark Seidenberg, Vice Chairman, American Independent Party
Mr.Seidenberg. I will give you the benefit of the argument to your claim you are the legal “Vice Chairman” of the AIP.
Okay, if Ms. Nightingale is a “none candidate” because your little handful of followers met and waved your magic wand and said “such is so” then explain to me on Wednesday of next week, if Mr. Noonan the AIP nominee for U.S.Senate and your “officially blessed candidate” does not get at least twice the votes for U.S. Senate as Ms. Nightingale gets for Governor, I want you to explain to all of us what happened.
Now if Mr. Noonan gets only a few thousand more votes than Ms. Nightingale, this doesn’t mean anything. For neither will Jerry Brown or Barbara Boxer get exactly the same number of votes in winning their respective offices.
And if Ms Nightingale happens get more votes than Mr. Noonan, then I want you to explain this to us also. But for your original claim to have any validity, Mr. Noonman MUST get twice as many votes Tuesday as Ms. Nightingale! We’ll all be waiting to see what happens and how you “explain” it away.
To “An Alabama Independent” (#14):
Thank you for your suggestions but I just can not see that sort of thing happening in California. For the most part, the activists in all the small parties are very partisan and would not consider working with people of different ideologies. Some can not even work with their fellow partisans (for example, see #15 and #16, above). I do not even think that it would help all that much anyway.
Frankly, I can not imagine very much, at this point in time, that would help our dire straits situation a lot. I know of one thing, though: It would be very good if all of the little parties attempted to merge with other, like-minded, little parties. I have been urging that for decades but hardly anyone wants to listen. I am afraid that all of this just leaves us with plain old struggle: day after day, year after year, and decade after decade. We keep hoping for that great qualitative change that should follow so much quanitative change but it has not yet happened.
The 6th California Super-state Parliament Circuit #11
Updated on 10/24/2010
8/6/2010 through 8/5/2014
http://www.usparliament.org/ss11.htm
Five Elected Executives
Prime Minister Lily Montgomery [Information Not Available]
Secretary Gail Lightfoot [Libertarian]
Prime Minister Robert S. [Pot]
Secretary Jim Doyle [Republican]
Prime Minister Virgil Hales [Green-Pot-Christ]
Twelve Full Cabinet Ministers Elected
Secretary of State Minister Forrest Hill [Green]
Controller Minister Laura Wells [Green]
Moderator Minister Mike Stanley [Democratic]
Economics Minister Ralph Hoffman [Democratic-Republican]
Education Minister David Frey [Socialist USA/California]
Speaker Minister James Anthony [LEAP]
Senate Minister Michael Metti [Libertarian]
Insurance Commissioner Minister Dale Ogden [Libertarian]
Treasurer Minister Marian Smithson [Libertarian]
Communications Minister Alex Plewniak [Libertarian]
Attorney General Minister Kenneth Weismann [Libertarian]
Programmer Minister Cody Nott [Info. Not Avail.]
Seven Deputy Ministers Elected
Deputy Controller Minister Donna Tello [Libertarian]
Deputy Treasurer Minister Mehul M. Thakker [Green]
Deputy Controller Minister Warren Campbell [American Independent]
Deputy Secretary of State Minister Al Hanson [Independent]
Deputy Senate Minister Don Grundmann [Constitution]
Deputy Moderator Minister Michael Williams [Info. Not Avail.]
Deputy Communications Minister Loris Scagliarini [Info. Not Avail.]
Deputy Treasurer Minister Frank Garcia [Info. Not Avail.]
Libertarian Party – 33 MSPs
Starchild, Mary J. Ruwart, Gail Lightfoot, Pamela J. Brown, Cory Nott, Lawrence Samuels, Kristi Stone, Marian Smithson, Sandi Web, Dale Ogden, Donna Tello, Richard Winger, Ned Roscoe, Vince Carlton [Libertarian at Large], Richard Vinable, Steve Kubby, Mark Hinkle, Alex Plewniak, Dwight Bailey, Tony Monroe, Dave LeBlanc, Richard Rider, Richard S. Bronstein, Michael Metti, Byron Stephens, Richard Newell, Andrew “Andy” Favor, Timothy J. Hannon, Angela Keaton, Kevin Takenaga, Joe Cobb, Joe Dehn and Larry Clark
Pot Party – 20 MSPs
Bouhlod Khembisai, Mark Rodrigues, Ezekial Mitchel, Robert S., Jim Cruise, James May, Adam Meed, Phil Zek, Chuck John, Adam Morgan, Josh Nickson, Junior Stevenson [Pothead], Evan Santos, Rory Hicks [Liberal-Pot], Kyle Kirby, Jason Maya, Brad Orand, Jesse Waterman, Brent Nevile and Alex Haser [Pothead]
Parties With One Seat – 12 MSPs
Christina Adams [Environmentalist], Vanessa Moreley [Defender of the Republic], Cherish Prieditis [Anarchist], John Bergamini [Food Not Bombs], Allen McKinney [Open], Sterling [Hemp], Joel Castle [Intelligence], Eddy Lepp [Nonpartisan], Marci Pinkard [Decline to State], Darryl Perry [Boston Tea], Jim Doyle [Republican] and Chelene Nightingale [Constitution Independent]
Peace and Freedom Party – 11 MSPs
Debra L. Reiger, Jan Tucker, Stewart Alexander, Karen Martinez, Dina Josephine Padilla, CT Weber, Marylou Cabral, Janice Jordan, Carlos Alverez, Mohammed Arif and Robert J. Evans
Independents – 4 MSPs
Lucia Goin, Jerry Leon Carroll, Amory and Neil Brian Goldberg
Information Not Available – 4 MSPs
Bob Watkins, Ani Defranco, Carlos Santana and Mark Williams
Marijuana Party – 4 MSPs
David Payne, James Barbee [Free Marijuana], Thressia Keys and Edward Zuniga
Free Parliamentary – 4 MSPs
Laura Booth, Daniel Penisten [Free Parliament], Adrian Hickman and James Ogle
Green Party – 3 MSPs
Virgil Hales [Green-Pot-Christ], Kevin Clark [Green Libertarian] and Ross Frankel
American Independent Party – 3 MSPs
Diane Bealle Templin, Markham Robinson and Don Lake
Free and Equal Party – 2 MSPs
Wayne Christopher and Babette Hogan
Total – 100 MSPs
President James Ogle [Free Parliamentary] and Vice President Starchild [Libertarian]
First vote count 8/6/2010
Second vote count 10/2/2010
* * *
Note: Secretary Gail Lightfoot’s husband MSP Richard Vinable [Libertarian] passed away the week before last, the ballots were recounted and MSP Mike Bogatirev [Environmentalist] was automatically elected in his stead.
Phil Sawyer: You are right. Too many of the 3rd parties are narrow-based and only want a soap box to spout their views which are never going to be considered by the rank and file American voters. It is only a “pipe dream” of mine that they might come together. Even with the AIP, if it weren’t for the regular “independents” inadvertantly registering with this party, their registration would not be half of what it is – probably not even a fourth. Still, it is smart break for them to get those “unintended” registered voters. Just too bad they don’t know how to appreciate it and use it to their advantage.
I’m still waiting to see how Mr. Seidenberg explains away when Mr. Noonan does not get twice as many votes as Ms. Nightingale does on election night. But I’m sure he’ll come up with some type of nonsense.
The Registration of the American Independent Party is now 413,032. It is way up from when AIP left the Constitution Party in June 2008. Both Ed Noonan and
Markham Robinson has done a great job as AIP Chairmen
= Not because of Ed, but because Californians are getting fed up. Ed was always throwing people out of the party and attacking everybody.
Several counties in California have Registration in excess of 4.5%. Including Yuba County, home the current
State Chairman of the AIP, viz., Nathan Sorenson and the 2006 – 2008 State Chairman Ed Noonan who is running
for the United States Senate.
= Well that’s really sad because IAP registration is at 5% here in Carson City alone. Esmeralda county is highest at 8%! Beat that!
My belief the reason registration is down in Los Angeles
County is the AIP has poor quality of candidates there,
like Chelene Nightingale and James King
= I disagree, plus I think Chelene is another reason why AIP voter registration has gone up.
So who are you support for Governor, Mark?