Kelly J
06-06-2008, 10:08 PM
http://www.cassconservative.com/main.asp?SectionID=27&SubSectionID=91&ArticleID=1191&TM=71634.42
None of the Above (NOTA)
6/2/2008
None of the Above (NOTA) or against all is a ballot choice in some jurisdictions or organizations, placed so as to allow the voter to indicate his disapproval with all of the candidates in any voting system. It is based on the principle that all legitimate consent requires the ability to withhold consent, allowing voters to withhold their consent in an election to office, just as they can by voting "no" on ballot questions.
During election years, how many times have you heard friends and family say, "I'm voting for Candidate X because I can't stand the thought of Candidate Y being in office"? or "At least Candidate X isn't as bad as Candidate Y"? The American people deserve an actual choice among candidates, among ideas and platforms, not the default choice between a lesser of evils.
It is obvious that both the Democrats and Republicans have abandoned the principles of liberty. When voters see no hope of having a true leader after an election, why vote at all? When our political candidates lack intelligence, lack charisma, lack genuine concern for the well-being of the people of this country, how can we, in good faith, vote for them to lead us? There seems to be a lack of excellence in our political candidates that has led to disillusionment with our political system and the government that it supports.
There is a serious problem when we have difficulty in differentiating between candidates or when all choices on a ballot represent candidates which, given the choice, we would never put in office.
In order to combat the mediocrity which seems to reign in our political candidates, The Committee Against Mediocrity in Politics (CAMP) is calling for Amendment XXVIII to the United States Constitution. This Amendment would add "None of the Above" to all federal election ballots, allowing voters to choose not to vote for a ballot of mediocre candidates.
Should the "None of the Above" option receive a majority of votes in any given election, then that election would yield no winner and the election would need to be rerun with new candidates on the ballot. Perhaps any candidate receiving over one-third of the popular votes in the original election would be allowed to run in the new election, but all other candidates would be barred from further campaigning in that current election. Such a result would not bar candidates from running in future elections for the same office, though hopefully such a censure would give them second thoughts as to the viability of their political career.
Since constitutional amendments require ratification by individual states, it is hoped that those states would adopt a similar policy thus bringing the None of the Above option to state and even local elections.
America is a Representative Republic and should put the power in the hands of the people, not hamstring the political process with non-viable candidates. We need a solution before the diminishing returns of mediocrity find us spiraling into an America our Founding Fathers would no longer recognize.
In this election year, it is incumbent upon all American citizens to voice their opinions concerning the quality (or lack thereof) of our political candidates. CAMP hopes to provide one platform for doing just that.
About CAMP
The Committee Against Mediocrity in Politics (CAMP) is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization devoted to the elevation of intelligent political discourse. CAMP is currently fighting political mediocrity through the proposal of a 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution, the None of the Above Amendment.
For more information go to: www.votenoneoftheabove.us
None of the Above (NOTA)
6/2/2008
None of the Above (NOTA) or against all is a ballot choice in some jurisdictions or organizations, placed so as to allow the voter to indicate his disapproval with all of the candidates in any voting system. It is based on the principle that all legitimate consent requires the ability to withhold consent, allowing voters to withhold their consent in an election to office, just as they can by voting "no" on ballot questions.
During election years, how many times have you heard friends and family say, "I'm voting for Candidate X because I can't stand the thought of Candidate Y being in office"? or "At least Candidate X isn't as bad as Candidate Y"? The American people deserve an actual choice among candidates, among ideas and platforms, not the default choice between a lesser of evils.
It is obvious that both the Democrats and Republicans have abandoned the principles of liberty. When voters see no hope of having a true leader after an election, why vote at all? When our political candidates lack intelligence, lack charisma, lack genuine concern for the well-being of the people of this country, how can we, in good faith, vote for them to lead us? There seems to be a lack of excellence in our political candidates that has led to disillusionment with our political system and the government that it supports.
There is a serious problem when we have difficulty in differentiating between candidates or when all choices on a ballot represent candidates which, given the choice, we would never put in office.
In order to combat the mediocrity which seems to reign in our political candidates, The Committee Against Mediocrity in Politics (CAMP) is calling for Amendment XXVIII to the United States Constitution. This Amendment would add "None of the Above" to all federal election ballots, allowing voters to choose not to vote for a ballot of mediocre candidates.
Should the "None of the Above" option receive a majority of votes in any given election, then that election would yield no winner and the election would need to be rerun with new candidates on the ballot. Perhaps any candidate receiving over one-third of the popular votes in the original election would be allowed to run in the new election, but all other candidates would be barred from further campaigning in that current election. Such a result would not bar candidates from running in future elections for the same office, though hopefully such a censure would give them second thoughts as to the viability of their political career.
Since constitutional amendments require ratification by individual states, it is hoped that those states would adopt a similar policy thus bringing the None of the Above option to state and even local elections.
America is a Representative Republic and should put the power in the hands of the people, not hamstring the political process with non-viable candidates. We need a solution before the diminishing returns of mediocrity find us spiraling into an America our Founding Fathers would no longer recognize.
In this election year, it is incumbent upon all American citizens to voice their opinions concerning the quality (or lack thereof) of our political candidates. CAMP hopes to provide one platform for doing just that.
About CAMP
The Committee Against Mediocrity in Politics (CAMP) is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization devoted to the elevation of intelligent political discourse. CAMP is currently fighting political mediocrity through the proposal of a 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution, the None of the Above Amendment.
For more information go to: www.votenoneoftheabove.us