California State Senator Criticizes "Top-Two" Ballot Measure

Posted on by October 25, 2009
22

California State Senator Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley) spoke at a forum, “What Ails California?”, held on the University of California Berkeley campus on October 23. She was a member of a panel that was discussing solutions to California’s government problems. The meeting was not specifically about the “top-two” ballot measure in June 2010, but the issue arose.

Hancock said to beware of the measure, because, in her opinion, it would raise the cost of campaigning. She said that the system, by requiring candidates to run two different campaigns before the entire electorate (the June campaign and the November campaign), would make it even more expensive to run for office than is currently the case.

Certain other political leaders who have voiced support for the general concept of a more open primary process are not entirely happy with the specific “top-two” measure that will be on the California ballot. Tom Campbell, a former Congressman and a prominent candidate for Governor in next year’s Republican primary, said in an e-mail dated October 20, “I do not favor preventing write-ins, or making it difficult for third parties to appear on the initial (primary) ballot.” The California law has already been changed to say that write-ins for Congress and state office in November should never be counted, but that law will not go into effect unless the voters vote for the “top-two” measure. Also, the new law would not permit members of unqualified parties to list their party preference on any ballot, so it does not treat all candidates equally.

Jim Brulte, former leader of the Republicans in each house of the legislature, and Joel Fox, former president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, also appeared on panels at the “What Ails California?” forum. Each expressed general support for a more open primary process, but afterwards each said in an e-mail that they have not endorsed the specific proposal that will be on the 2010 ballot. Professor Sherry Bebitch Jeffe also says she favors a more open primary process, but that she has not come to a conclusion about the 2010 ballot measure. Proponents of a more open primary process are free to support a classic open primary for California. A classic open primary, used in 22 states, eliminates the practice of asking voters to indicate membership in a party on voter registration forms. Then, each voter on primary day is free to vote in any party’s primary ballot. Oddly enough, no political leader in California ever suggests that idea. Proponents of “top-two”, by insisting on calling “top-two” an “open primary”, have injured any future attempt to get a true open primary established in California, by muddying the public understanding of a true open primary.

California State Senator Criticizes “Top-Two” Ballot Measure

Posted on by October 25, 2009
22

California State Senator Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley) spoke at a forum, “What Ails California?”, held on the University of California Berkeley campus on October 23. She was a member of a panel that was discussing solutions to California’s government problems. The meeting was not specifically about the “top-two” ballot measure in June 2010, but the issue arose.

Hancock said to beware of the measure, because, in her opinion, it would raise the cost of campaigning. She said that the system, by requiring candidates to run two different campaigns before the entire electorate (the June campaign and the November campaign), would make it even more expensive to run for office than is currently the case.

Certain other political leaders who have voiced support for the general concept of a more open primary process are not entirely happy with the specific “top-two” measure that will be on the California ballot. Tom Campbell, a former Congressman and a prominent candidate for Governor in next year’s Republican primary, said in an e-mail dated October 20, “I do not favor preventing write-ins, or making it difficult for third parties to appear on the initial (primary) ballot.” The California law has already been changed to say that write-ins for Congress and state office in November should never be counted, but that law will not go into effect unless the voters vote for the “top-two” measure. Also, the new law would not permit members of unqualified parties to list their party preference on any ballot, so it does not treat all candidates equally.

Jim Brulte, former leader of the Republicans in each house of the legislature, and Joel Fox, former president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, also appeared on panels at the “What Ails California?” forum. Each expressed general support for a more open primary process, but afterwards each said in an e-mail that they have not endorsed the specific proposal that will be on the 2010 ballot. Professor Sherry Bebitch Jeffe also says she favors a more open primary process, but that she has not come to a conclusion about the 2010 ballot measure. Proponents of a more open primary process are free to support a classic open primary for California. A classic open primary, used in 22 states, eliminates the practice of asking voters to indicate membership in a party on voter registration forms. Then, each voter on primary day is free to vote in any party’s primary ballot. Oddly enough, no political leader in California ever suggests that idea. Proponents of “top-two”, by insisting on calling “top-two” an “open primary”, have injured any future attempt to get a true open primary established in California, by muddying the public understanding of a true open primary.