Free
Voter Freedom Act
from Senate Rules Committee
The
legislative session is
coming to a close, but HB 794
is stuck in the Senate
Rules Committee.
The original bill would have
dramatically lowered our
state's high ballot access
barriers. We agreed with the
bill's sponsor, Rep. Jason
Saine, when he urged us to
support transforming the bill
into a study bill in order to
get it passed. And it did pass
the House with an overwhelming
109-5 vote.
That was a month ago.
Since then, both houses have
been busy working on various
budget and tax reform bills.
The bill has been left
dormant in the Senate Rules
Committee.
Time is running out. The
legislature may adjourn by the
end of June. We need to take
action now if we want real
ballot access reform to begin.
Please call Sen. Tom
Apodaca, Senate Rules
Committee chair, at
[masked] and urge him to
move HB 794 Voter
Freedom Act to the
Senate floor.
Call your state Senator as
well and ask them to let Sen.
Apodaca know they support this
legislation. You can look up
you state Senator
here.
HB 794 is a study
bill. It would make no
change in the law.
But it would authorize the
Joint Legislative Elections
Oversight Committee to study
amending the definition of
political party, and the
nomination process, amending
the requirements for
unaffiliated and write-in
candidates, allowing for
nomination by convention by
smaller parties, and providing
that smaller parties electing
to have primaries will have
the results determined by
plurality.
These are all the points
covered in the original bill.
If the bill is not passed by
the Senate, we will
essentially be back to square
one. We'll have to begin the
process again in January 2014,
during the short session when
the legislature is supposed to
focus solely on budget issues.
And even if this study bill is
passed, the results of the
study will not be ready for
the 2014 election.
Making a direct
telephone call is the best
way to have your voice
heard.
Ask to speak to the Senator;
but if that is not possible,
leave a message with the
secretary or legislative
assistant, and be sure to
mention you are a constituent
(if appropriate) and that you
support the Free the Vote
Coalition.
It would not hurt to follow up
your call with a personal
e-mail message, something you
write yourself. You can use
one or two of the following
points for your call and in
your e-mail:
- HB 794 is a bipartisan
bill that has wide
support. Representatives
Jason Saine (R), Paul
Luebke (D), David Lewis
(R), and Rodney Moore (D)
were the primary sponsors;
Representatives Alma Adams
(D), John Bell (R), Mark
Brody, (R), Becky Carney
(D), Beverly Earle (D),
Pricey Harrison (D),
Jonathan Jordan (R), and
Michael Speciale (R).
- In addition, HB 794 has
the support of the Free
the Vote Coalition, an
alliance of public policy
groups and political
parties from across the
political spectrum.
Members include the
Libertarian and Green
parties, as well as the
John Locke Foundation and
Democracy NC, and other
groups representing
diverse political
opinions.
- When political parties,
public policy groups and
individuals with such
divergent views unite in
any cause, it clearly
attests to the fact that
ballot access reform is
not a partisan or
special-interest group
issue, but a question of
fundamental freedom that
transcends political
differences.
- North Carolina has the
second most restrictive
ballot access laws in the
nation. NC law imposes an
excessive and unreasonable
requirement on new
political parties and
unaffiliated candidates
that’s far and above the
standard prevalent in most
other states.
- 33 states require
10,000 or fewer signatures
for a new political party
to obtain ballot access;
22 of these states require
less than 5,000 signatures
or some other simpler
means for a party to be
recognized by the state.
- 36 states require
10,000 or fewer signatures
for independent statewide
candidates to obtain
access to the ballot; 29
of this group require
5,000 or less, or some
other simpler means (such
as paying a filing fee)
for an independent
candidate to be listed on
the ballot.
Remind Sen. Apodaca
that he's been a champion of
ballot access reform.
- In 1988, he was the
leader of a small group of
Republicans (and one
Democrat) who proposed an
amendment to a ballot
access reform bill to
lower the number of
signatures required to get
on the ballot to one-half
of one percent. That
amendment was defeated by
the then Democratic
majority.
We
need to take action now to
keep the Voter Freedom Act
alive.
A viable democratic process
and fundamental freedom
requires that ballot access
laws encourage and promote –
not limit – the individual's
right to self-government by
securing their right to free
choice at the ballot box.
Call (and e-mail)
Sen. Apodaca and your state
Senator today.
In liberty,
Jordon Greene
President & Founder
Free the Vote
North Carolina
Your Choice - Your Vote -
Your Right
"The right of voting for
representatives
is the primary right by
which other rights are
protected."
-Thomas Paine
P.S. Please forward this
message to your friends. If
you a member of the Free the
Vote Coalition, please
consider forwarding this
message to your membership.