Proposition 62

Should primary elections be structured so that voters may vote for any state or federal candidate regardless of party registration of voter or candidate? The two primary-election candidates receiving most votes for an office, whether they are candidates with "no party" or members of same or different party, would be listed on general election ballot. Exempts presidential nominations.

Virtual UU Meeting House discussion: come on in, and read what people had to say.

Official Summary and Arguments

Proposition 62 requires primary elections where voters may vote for any state or federal candidate regardless of party registration of voter or candidate. The two primary-election candidates receiving most votes for an office, whether they are candidates with 'no party' or members of same or different party, would be listed on general election ballot. Exempts presidential nominations. Fiscal Impact: No significant net fiscal effect on state and local governments.

A YES vote on this measure means:

All voters on this measure would receive the same primary election ballot for most state and federal offices. The top two vote-getting candidates - regardless of political party identification - would be placed on the general election ballot.

A NO vote on this measure means:

Voters would continue to receive primary election ballots based on political party identification. The top vote-getting candidate from each political party would be placed on the general election ballot.

Arguments FOR Proposition 62

The Voter Choice Primary Initiative allows every voter - including independent voters - to vote for the best candidate for office, regardless of party, in primary elections. It is similar to the method Californians have used for the past century to elect mayors, council members, county supervisors, and district attorneys.

FOR Proposition 62: Leon Panetta, Former White House Chief of Staff to President Clinton; Julie Puentes, Executive Vice-President, Orange County Business Council; Harriet Hoffman, State Coordinator, Committee for an Independent Voice; Steve Westly, California State Controller; Richard J. Riordan, California Secretary for Education; Becky Morgan, Former State Senator;

Arguments AGAINST Proposition 62
Proposition 62 is based on Louisiana's radical election system. There, it helped KKK leader David Duke run for Governor. It eliminates voter choice in general election; undercuts opportunities for women and minority candidates; makes the legislature less accountable. Don't bring Louisiana's dirty politics to California! Vote No!

AGAINST Proposition 62: Kris Greenlee, Vice-Chair, Common Cause; Honorable Mimi Walters, Founding Member, California Women’s Leadership Association; George Runner, Co-Chair, Citizens and Law Enforcement Against Election Fraud; Jon Coupal, President, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association;Mary Bergan, President, California Federation of Teachers; Mario Rodriguez, Chairman, The Latino Coalition

Nonpartisan Background and Analysis

UU Commentaries

"Everybody's for democracy in principle. It's only in practice that the thing gives rise to stiff objections."
—Meg Greenfield

No commentary was received prior to our deadline. Please add your opinion and voice to the discussion below.

Against Proposition 62

Commentary 1: "Proposition 62 is not a step in the right direction"

Valuing the democratic process is our fifth principle. We value that a democracy accurately and efficiently records and carries out the will of the people. We know that beyond the simple data it records, a ballot can be a statement of conscience.

Proposition 62 would establish a Top-Two runoff system in California. In the primary election in the spring, you could vote for anyone, but only the top two from the primary would be on the ballot in November. Proponents of Prop 62 call the first round an "Open Primary" because voting lets you select any one candidate regardless of party. They also wrote several pages of nice goals to go at the front of Prop 62. I don't think it will achieve those goals.

"If liberty and equality, as is thought by some, are chiefly to be found in democracy, they will be best attained when all persons alike share in the government to the utmost..."
—Aristotle

In the 2002 election in France, the incumbent president Jacques Chirac came out of their first round election with only 19.7% and went on to face a radical minority-position candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen who got 17%. The third place candidate got 16%. In the final election the results were 82% to 18%. In the end, a large number of people felt that they had no real choice.

Prop 62 won't give us greater choice in candidates but less, because it allows the parties to bless candidates. If you don't vote for the one they've approved then you might risk fracturing the vote like in France. "Don't throw your vote away!" still applies. We haven't won anything. The final ballot in November, with only two choices on it is an inadequate statement of conscience.

Proposition 62 is not a step in the right direction; it is not the electoral reforms we should have.

Brian Olson
Unitarian Society of Santa Barbara

"It is not the fact of liberty but the way in which liberty is exercised that ultimately determines whether liberty itself survives."
—Dorothy Thompson

SUPPORTERS SAY Proposition 62 encourages voter turnout; creates healthier competition; reduces the effects of reapportionment; ends partisan gridlock in state government; and mirrors the way Californians have elected local officials for nearly a century.

OPPONENTS SAY 62 suppresses voter turnout; restricts voter choice in the general election; forces smaller parties off the ballot; and reduces opportunities for minority candidates. They say that Proposition 62 mirrors Louisiana's system which has not resulted in the election of more moderate candidates or increased voter turnout.

Could not connect to MySQL because: Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock' (2)

Welcome to the Virtual UU Meeting House