Stop Top Two!

Don’t be fooled by the misleading words “open primary” in the propaganda for Prop 14. This ballot measure would actually limit your choices to only two candidates in November. They might be from the same party. They would almost never include an independent or a small party candidate. And write-in votes would not be counted in November.

Does any of this sound “open” to you?

Prop 14's backers pretend that it would elect more moderate candidates and reduce the polarization of California politics. Not true. What it would do is increase the influence of big business and elect more business-friendly office holders. It would help incumbents and make corporate money even more important than it is now.

Join the Peace and Freedom Party and others in working to defeat Prop 14. This page provides links to the facts you need to understand this dangerous proposition, and the tools you need to fight it.

Learn the facts

These articles explain why Prop 14 is the wrong solution to a real problem, and provide an introduction to the right solution.

• Why Prop 14 is the wrong answer - short version
• Why Prop 14 is the wrong answer - longer version
• Why proportional representation is the right answer
• How Prop 14 could work in practice

What you can do

• Join us on May 18 in Los Angeles and May 24 in Sacramento -- details here
• Review and use these talking points
• Talk to everyone you know
• Write letters to the editor of your local newspapers -- see below for hints and tips.
• Comment on articles published on-line -- see below for why and how.
• Download, print and distribute these campaign materials
  • Quarter-sheet flyer (.pdf, 824 Kb)
  • Half-sheet flyer (.pdf, 293 Kb)
  • Full page flyer (.pdf, 178 Kb)
  • One page flyer (.pdf, 185 Kb) from Californians for Electoral Reform
  • One page handout (.pdf, 1.5Mb) from the Free and Equal Elections Foundation (best when part of a detailed conversation)
• Link to these No on Prop 14 Theatre videos
• Table at events
• Get organizations you belong to discuss Prop 14
• Ask organizations you are active in to endorse Stop Top Two
• Contact us to get involved
• While you're working with us to defeat Prop 14, learn more about real electoral reform.
• Drop $14 Against Prop 14

Letters to the editor

Letters to the editor should always be in your own words. . Make the points that are most important to you, using the talking points above and other information as resources. Use the examples at the bottom of this page as a guide to developing your own approach.

If you are are responding to an editorial or article, stay close to the points raised there. Also, most publication have limits on the length of letters. Find out what it is and stay within it.

On-line comments

Almost all on-line newspapers, magazines and blogs allow readers to comment on most articles. See the bottom of this page for a few examples. These comments are seen by thousands of people. And they are generally easier to write than letters to the editor because you have a lot of context and because they are usually shorter.

Publications limit the number of letters they publish, and they often slant the selection to one side of a question. But they rarely delete comments that are not obscene, threatening or too personal.

This is a free resource. Use it.

Examples

Here are a few examples of on-line comments written by Peace and Freedom activists.

Proposition 14 would dramatically change the way that general elections are held. It would limit voter's choices to only two, who would then compete for that office at the ensuing general election.

Is a primary or a general election more important? In my opinion, a general election is more important, no it is much more important, because it is where the final decision is made on who gets elected. It is also a much larger election as to the numbers of voters who vote. So why would one support a proposition that may improve, if you indeed think it is improvement, the smaller, less important election when it reduces voter’s choices in the more important, much larger general election. It reduces voter’s choices from six candidates, maybe seven if an independent candidate also qualifies, who are on the statewide general election ballots. Prop 14 would reduce the field to only two candidates. Independent candidates would no longer be allowed to qualify for the more important, much larger general election ballot. It would be highly unlikely that a candidate of one of the smaller parties would make the more important, much larger larger general election ballot. Write-in votes in the general election would not be counted. Vote No!

--C.T. Weber

There's nothing moderate about this radical "reform" ("deform" would be a better description) of our elections. It would eliminate party primaries, not allow more people to vote in them. The key feature of this horrible suppression of democracy is what it does to the November election, in which people are actually elected to office: Only two candidates would be available, usually the two with the most money. We would have no right to vote for smaller party candidates, independent candidates put on the ballot by petition, or write-in candidates. It would be a no-choice election. This attempted coup by the ultra-rich must be defeated!

--Kevin Akin

Dan Walters claims party activists "loathe the idea that voters who don't share their ideologies could choose candidates". In fact, what they oppose is voters who don't share a party's views choosing that party's candidate.

Prop 14 goes far beyond that to prevent all parties in California from having ANY candidates. The basic human right of freedom of assembly guarantees that like-minded citizens can work together to choose and support candidates for office. Historically, we've done so by forming political parties that run candidates.

At the turn of the 20th century, that right was subverted by the big money interests of the day who bribed party leaders to ensure that candidates favorable to them were chosen in closed-door party meetings. Then the solution was for the state to conduct primary elections open to all of a party's voters.

Today's big money now sees parties as too dominated by "extremists" who don't look after their interests. They want politicians whose first, second and third priorities are helping big business. The social issues that are important to many activist of both left and right are just a distraction. Both Republicans who really believe in small government and lower taxes, and Democrats who genuinely support workers and the environment are letting ideology get in the way of using government to subsidize corporate profits.

Now big money is trying to rig elections to make it easier to buy elections for their puppets.

Don’t let them get away with it.

--Dave Kadlecek

Vote NO on Proposition 14!

Last revised May 31, 2010