The May 22 Sacramento Bee, the largest newspaper in California’s capital city, has an op-ed advocating that the California top-two system be abolished. It is by Steve Maviglio, a Democrat, and Ron Nehring, a Republican. Here is a link, but it is behind a paywall. It demonstrates that the top-two system has not helped moderates to get elected, and points out that the California legislature is still one of the most polarized in the nation. It lists instances when a major party incumbent sponsored advertisements referring to that incumbent’s most feared opponent in a way to boost another potential opponent who would be weaker.
It doesn’t mention the flaw that the system has blocked all minor party candidates from the general election ballot, except in races when one of the two major parties didn’t run anyone. It does mention that the system has not helped independent candidates, as the top-two backers expected. Thanks to Eric Wong for the link.
The Dems with a supermajority are happy about the Top 2. 3rd party candidates would chip away at the Democrats votes and they are happy Republicans basically trot out the most extreme candidates year after year. Can’t see it taken out unless the Republicans, Independents, Libertarians and Greens unite to do a statewide ballot measure to do eradicate this mistake.
Some mini-brains needed to wipe out minority rule gerrymanders as in CA and all other States in the courts –
1/2 x 1/2 = 1/4
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NOOO primaries.
PR
APPV
TOTSOP
Did backers really expect the top-two idea would help indys, Richard, or was that just PR for public consumption?
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-shares-post-suggesting-civil-003103426.html
Trump ravings — civil war —
cycle started with his monarch appearance in 2016 running for Prez ???
Thomas Jones has no idea what a monarch is.
I doubt that the backers of Top Two Primary really expected this to help independent candidates. This was probably another one of their lies.
Really simple PR Method – as mentioned some time ago.
ALL legis folks on ballots are *elected* — and have a Voting Power in the body equal to the votes each receives.
Extra pay for Legis body *leaders*. Reduced pay for low vote getters.
Top vote getters / leaders meet together as necessary — otherwise remote Zoom meetings — with some total security on voting.
Variant – top N in each district are elected. Loser votes go to highest ranked on their pre-election lists – in any district.
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Save Democracy from powermad monarchs-oligarchs —
ie New Age Trump types — Putin types — Xi types — etc. —
esp regardless of troll morons who love monarchs-oligarchs and their wars and oppressions.
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More voters NOT voting for the lesser of devil 2 DD commie or RR fascist choices in top 2 primary regimes.
@az,
Under the proposed neighborhood legislature in California, ordinary legislators would be paid $1/year. They would choose those who would serve in Sacramento, and also vote on final passage of legislation, which they could do electronically.
Selection of the Sacramento legislators could be by any number of methods, since the election does not have to be a singular event.
This would mesh nicely with weighted voting.