The Parties are Bullies

Party politicians are bullies. Many folks today feel threatened if others know how they feel about politics. Voters have told me they would not want to sign their name to a ballot petition because they fear retribution at work. 

Parties write rules to force candidates to align with them. They write rules to keep candidates who do not align off the ballot. They want voters to have two choices: Red or Blue. They want people to ignore right and wrong. 

To vote, SC requires me to show my drivers license and sign my signature. They can match my signature to my drivers license. My name and address is verified to make sure what is on file matches my ID. Then, I am permitted to vote. 

In the voting booth, I am presented with a choice. Vote straight party or not. Choose us or them. As if I should pay no attention to candidates. Trust the party. The party money. The party line. That is the first choice presented in the voting booth. Ever wonder why? 

To get on the ballot as an independent for the US Senate, 10,000 registered voters have to sign a ballot petition. The rules for getting signatures are from the last century, as if online validation doesn’t exist. The signature has to be in ink on a piece of legal size paper (which most home printers won’t print, and virtually no one has on hand). Each piece of paper can have up to 12 signatures, but only one county per page. If two people from different counties sign, their signature gets ruled invalid. There are spaces on the petition for lots of personal information. It is intimidating at first glance. The law only requires a signature, printed name and address that match your drivers licence. All the other blocks on the form are for the convenience of the Election Commission. The rules are intended to keep people not in parties off the ballot. Write-in campaigns are often the only option for independents. 

If I can log in to Social Security or the DMV, or SCVotes, or my bank, or MyChart, why can I NOT sign a ballot petition online? The answer can only be the rules are intended to make it nearly impossible to get on the ballot. Parties don’t have to get signatures for their candidates. Any recognized party candidate can get on the ballot for $10,440 payable to the South Carolina Election Commission. 

Citizen representatives deserve a better way to get on the ballot. A good start would be a change to 8.5X11 paper. But maybe, just maybe, an electronic alternative could save time, and money, and encourage citizen representatives instead of favoring lifetime politicians. If you read this far and want to sign my ballot petition, and live in SC, send a note to info@donforussenate.com and I will send you the big complicated looking form. And remember, the only required info is your printed name, signature, and address as shown on your drivers license or other form of government issued ID.