John Seiler, former editorial page editor of the Orange County (California) Register, has this commentary about California’s top-two system in connection with this year’s U.S. Senate race. Thanks to Bob Richards for the link.
Ballot Access News
Edited By Richard Winger
Top 2 is a shorter perversion version of IRV.
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NO primaries.
P.R. and nonpartisan App.V.
Top Two is a slight improvement, a step in the right directions, for single-winner plurality elections.
Top Two guarantees that any candidate reaching a 33,33% (plus one vote) threshold and will advance to the run-off, as one at-large voting district and then have the means to unite more voters need for a victory which a guaranteed 50% (plus one vote) is assured.
As additional candidates join the field, the threshold is randomly lowered, for every vote cast because of the “split-vote”.
So, third parties have a chance too, especially those perceived as unifiers who can unite people across party lines.
And that is exactly what the United Coalition does, we unite across party lines under pure proportional representation, so that our candidates can win the 33.33% (plus one vote) and challenge the status quo.
The 9th USA Parliament has been using pure proportional representation for more than twenty-one years and it works fine:
http://www.usparliament.org
Now visit the new International Parliament:
http://www.international-parliament.org/
Nobody has it as good as the United Coalition.
The November election is not a “runoff.” The November election is the election itself. A “runoff” is something that is only held when, in the election itself, no one gets 50%. But the June primary in California is not an “election”, because no one can be elected in June. Even someone who gets 100% of the vote in June is still not elected and must run in November.
It is not surprising that James Ogle got this wrong, because some (but not all) political reporters in California also use that “runoff” to refer to the November election.
Federal law, since 1872, has said that if states want a run-off for Congress, it must be after November. Georgia’s general election runoff is in January of the following year, and Louisiana’s is in December of the election year.
Richard Winger confuses statutes with the 10 Commandments. Statutes are not carved in stone.
There is no reason for California to hold its Top 2 primary in June, and there is no reason for Congress to not permit election in September if a candidate receives majority support in a primary open to all candidates and all voters.
I’m not exactly a fan of Top Two, that it would in most cases, eliminate any alternative-party candidates and write-ins.
run·off
NOUN
a further competition, election, race, etc., after a tie or inconclusive result.
What is inconclusive about a California June election in which a candidate gets 100% of the vote? The answer is “nothing.”
Both of the top 2 can/may be EVIL super-EXTREMISTS — giving the Nov voters the choice of voting for EVIL or not voting.
i.e. top 2 is one more invention by math MORON reformers — who are brain dead IGNORANT about the math with 3 or more choices.