According to this Fresno Bee story, some California county election officials have been thinking about charging political parties for the cost of administering elections for party office. But they have given up on the idea. The story says if the counties did charge the parties, the costs for electing county central committee members in Fresno County alone would be between $200,000 and $300,000 each.
About half the states have government-administered elections to enable parties to choose party officers, and the other half of the states don’t. In those states, party officers are all chosen in party meetings. California permits parties to opt out of public elections for party office, and the Libertarian Party has opted out. Thanks to John Tuteur for the link.
California should switch to all-mail elections for party offices, reduce the qualification standard for parties to 200 registered voters, and deregulate party rules.
The state would pay for the cost of mailing to each registered party member either (1) a ballot; or (2) a notice of a party meeting.
If a ballot is distributed, the state would also accept returned ballots, and perform validation. The party would be responsible for counting ballots, but they could rent the services of a county if they so chose. Similarly, the party would be responsible for the organization and cost of any party meetings.
Why should the state be involved in this process in the first place. This is simply welfare for the political parties.
It is required by the California Constitution. This would be the minimally invasive approach.
Thank you Jim for a constructive recommendation given in the context of California’s Constitution and statutes.
John Tuteur has a dog in this fight. He is the Registrar of Voters (ROV) in Napa County CA. He is reputedly the source of the suggestion that CA law’d support charging parties for their leadership elections.
I represent the 3rd largest party in CA and now in the US, the American Independent Party (AIP) of These United States (AIPOTUS) as its 1st Chairman. I am also the Secretary of the AIP State Central Committee and the Chairman of its Executive Committee. I was recently appointed its Executive Director by the Chairman, Dr. Mark Jerome Seidenberg, a title, frankly, merely for use in appropriate contexts.
The AIP Executive Committee just met last Thursday evening to consider the arbitrary deadline set for rendering a decision on whether to use the Presidential Primary Ballot of June 7, 2016 to elect our County Central Committee members. The Executive Committee met via an online/telephonic conference facility. (JoinMe if you’re curious.) We decided to respond to the 58 County ROV’s either individually or in groups.I chaired the meeting which exercises all the powers of the State Committee whenever it meets.
The Counties have NOT given up the idea of charging us, at least according to their official communications with us. We can find no statutory reason they might menace us with this prospect and in fact a provision in the CA Constitution to the contrary.
The same sentiment expressed above was conveyed in a letter of a mere 19 pages to the Napa County ROV, John Tuteur, from the Republican Party general counsel along with a threat of legal action. Actually rendering a bill of charges would certainly provoke a legal response, not just from the Republican and Democratic Parties. I will discuss not this potential legal action, but rather the reasons that State support for such elections is a reasonable action.
I hope you Mr. Riley and John Tuteur, both capable and intelligent gentlemen by all reports, will engage me on this matter.
It should, and will, always be remembered that Mr. Robinson attained any so-called posts or positions which he has within the AIP by the criminal actions of filing false documents with the State of California; this in conjunction with his fellow criminal conspirators Mark Seidenberg and Ed Noonan. Both Robinson and Seidenberg were ( as they still are to this day ) agents of the Republican Party when they joined the AIP for the express purpose of attacking the Constitution Party and destroying the work of Mr. William Shearer to build a national conservative 3rd party to challenge the Republicans. Despite any surface appearances the AIP is still controlled by the Robinson Crime Syndicate which has conspired to deny any voting rights to any voting block within the party which would cleanse it of their utter corruption. Any Chairman of the party not named Seidenberg or Robinson is simply a figurehead/false front to mask/sanitize its control by this ultra corrupt criminal syndicate; which itself is simply an action arm of the establishment wing of the Republican Party. I have documented their criminal actions at TheCorruptionofAlanKeyes.blogspot.com.; himself an establishment mole within the conservative movement.
Any positions which Robinson has attained within the AIP were achieved and perpetrated to this day by his criminality.
There you go again.
Simply being truthful. You knew that could never have taken control of the party via an honest vote so you had to file the fske documents. You could never have kept control of the party without suppressing the voting rights of your opponents. You will always be known as a liar, coward, and utterly corrupt. You were always, from the very start, working as an agent of the Republican establishment. I do have to give you credit for being a very good liar and that you have achieved your goal of destroying the work of Bill Shearer. Unfortunately for you, and your accomplice wife ( + Seidenberg of course ), there is that little matter known as Hell; the place where your fellow demons are waiting for your arrival. You may get away with your criminality and corruption in this life but none of you will escape what awaits you. A ” reward ” which you will all richly deserve. So enjoy your earthly feather preening as it has always been all about your glorious ego; even if your wife has to go to hell with you as you have never given a damn for anyone but yourself. Your earthly ” glory,” gained completely by being corrupt to the bone and beyond, will all end soon and you, via Divine Justice, will go exactly where you belong. You may have corrupt judges and lawyers to help you on this side of ” the divide ” but all that will end when you finally ( and not soon enough ) die ( which will be a true blessing for humanity ) and answer for your crimes to The Creator. It is a happy thought to know that He will bring you and your fellow monsters/accomplices to His justice. It is a happy thought to know that a monster such as you will be damned for eternity. And you can be assured that I will let all future generations know the utterly corrupt liar, coward, traitor to the nation, and monster that you are. Your name will indeed, far differently from what you imagine, go down in history. Word association will forever match the name Markham Robinson with the words treason, cowardice, lying, and utter corruption along with a physical reaction of contempt, revulsion, and disgust. Honest citizens; and REAL Americans, constitutionalists, and patriots; will join me in being happy that The Creator has banished you to Hell and your fellow demons for eternity. They will understand and appreciate His Divine Justice finally bringing an enemy of humanity such as yourself to Justice. So laugh it up while you can as your memories of your wonderful glory will be your only solace in Hell. I will have The Last Laugh.
The AIP is looking for persons that want to run for POTUS 2016. Dr. Don
Grumann will not be considered.
Honorable Mark Seidenberg, the United Coalition’ team of sixteen candidates would like to be on the AIP ballot line.
We have a unique ultra-conservative voting sysytem which we use known as pure proportional representation (PR).
It’s supported by all parties (and independents) because it provides an equality across the board and votes are not liberally wasted and thrown away.
Place our team on the ballot if you want to see more competition of ideas on the transformation of politics, business and all election systems from now and into the future.
Thank you for your consideration!
James Ogle
(831) 747-5864
To Don Grundman,
Your comments are off topic. This is not the place to relitigate these matters.
Your posts make many allegations which I will not refute again here. You both state and intention to commit slander and libel upon me and in fact do so in your post.
I think that your Un-Christian and unseemly rants should be removed from this thread by its moderator. You claim to be a Christian, but you show an inclination to make the most vicious and intemperate accusations against “fellow” Christians. My eternal destination is above your paygrade to put it mildly. It’s not yours to judge.
You have delivered threats of physical violence against both me and my wife in public. You are I believe a poster child for the necessity of once more funding public insane asylums.
May God forgive you, Don Grundmann. I certainly will if you ask for forgiveness for your many false insults and accusations.
Markham Robinson