Stop Top Two!

What our candidates are saying

• Ralph Nader (candidate for President in 2008), "Ralph Nader Warns Californians: Vote NO on Proposition 14 — Stop the 'Top Two' Tyranny"
• C.T. Weber, “Dangerous proposition to limit voters choices”
• Stewart Alexander, "Proposition 14 is a trick on voters"
• Marsha Feinland, Feinland for Senate on KCRB
• Eugene Ruyle, Ruyle for Congress on KCRB

What others are saying

Here are some commentaries from across the political spectrum. We may not agree with these authors on much else, and they don't agree among themselves on all the details about Prop 14. But we all know that it would be bad for democracy.

• Tom Del Becarro (Republican), "The print media gets it wrong on Prop 14"
• Keith Carlson (Republican), "Why two elections? Oppose special interest deception, vote No on Prop 14"
• Richard Winger (Libertarian), "`Top-two' open primary is no guarantee of moderation"
• Christina Tobin (Libertarian), "Open primary really shuts door on moderates"
• Ann Menasche (Green), "Proposition 14 will make our broken two-party political system even worse"
• Mike Feinstein (Green), "Prop 14 would weaken democracy, voter choice"
• Bob Reid (Democrat), "Leave My Political Party Alone"
• Robert Cruickshank (Democrat), "Prop 14: rigging the political system"

We're not the only ones who believe that business is pushing Prop 14 because it wants to elect more pro-business candidates.

• Howard Fine (Los Angeles Business Journal), "Business looks to open races to moderate candidates"
• Dan Walters (Sacramento Bee), "'Top two' primary election plan would shift battlefield"
• Mike Splinter and Shellye Archambeau (San Jose Mercury News), "Why election reform is important to Silicon Valley business leaders"

Here are the most important commentaries from non-partisan points of view.

• Michael Latner (CSU San Luis Obispo), "California needs more moderates"
• Eric McGhee (Public Policy Institute of California), "Electoral reforms won't fix California gridlock"
• Rob Richie (FairVote), "Why FairVote Opposes California's Prop 14 - But Seeks Reform"
• Jesse McKinley (New York Times), "California Puts Vote Overhaul on the Ballot"

Campaign websites

• Stop Top Two (Free and Equal Elections Foundation) -- also on Facebook and Twitter
• No on 14: Protect Voter Choice (committee affiliated with Democratic Party)
• California Green Party
• Save Voter Choice (committee affiliated with Republican Party)

Other sources

Included in the following list are some supposedly objective research reports from non-partisan sources. We don't agree with all of the conclusions stated in these studies, but we think you should be aware of them. Note that two of the think-tank reports misuse the term "open primary" in their titles.

• California Secretary of State, Voter Information Guide -- summary and analysis
• California Secretary of State, Voter Information Guide -- arguments and rebuttals
• League of Women Voters Education Fund, "Pros & Cons - In Depth" (the League is officially neutral)
• California Forward, "Primary Process Reform in California" (pro-business, in favor of Prop 14)
• Center for Governmental Studies, "Open Primaries and Top Two Elections" (mostly neutral)
• Rose Institute, "Open Primaries in California: The Future of Proposition 14"
• Public Policy Institute of California, "Open Primaries"

Vote NO on Proposition 14!

Last revised June 2, 2010