10 signatures reached
To: President Donald Trump, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate
TRUE VOTER’S CHOICE: Add “None of the Above’ to Federal Election Ballots
Add an additional row at the bottom of each candidate box on ballots for federal elections (president and congress) stating: “None of the Above,” giving voters the choice to reject all listed candidates.
Why is this important?
Over time, I have heard a great number of people express dissatisfaction with most of the presidential and congressional candidates presented by both major parties. Many did, and do, not bother to vote for this reason. Others still felt that it was their civic duty to participate in elections, but often lacked enthusiasm for most candidates. Their justification to choose one opponent over another was, and often still is, one of two mantras:
1. “I choose the lesser of two evils” or
2. “I rather elect the devil I know than the devil I don’t”
Unfortunately, candidates believe that in order to get the most votes they must please all people. They try to not offend anyone by tailoring their campaign speeches and slogans to different audiences and telling them what they want to hear, taking no clear stand on any issue. This leads to parties selecting their most mediocre candidates. Voters are faced with the dilemma of being forced to pick someone with whom they cannot identify or empathize.
The result is one of the lowest voter turnouts of all democracies and the winning candidates often not representing The People – thus, in the long run threatening our Democracy.
Adding an additional row at the bottom of each candidate box on ballots for federal elections (president and congress) stating “None of the Above” gives voters the choice to reject all listed candidates.
By giving voters this alternative, they can show their displeasure with the current antiquated system. A “win” of “None of the Above” will create an impasse that should compel politicians to reform it by creating a new, viable and fair system that is approved by the American people and gives them a broader and just choice in selecting its representatives.
1. “I choose the lesser of two evils” or
2. “I rather elect the devil I know than the devil I don’t”
Unfortunately, candidates believe that in order to get the most votes they must please all people. They try to not offend anyone by tailoring their campaign speeches and slogans to different audiences and telling them what they want to hear, taking no clear stand on any issue. This leads to parties selecting their most mediocre candidates. Voters are faced with the dilemma of being forced to pick someone with whom they cannot identify or empathize.
The result is one of the lowest voter turnouts of all democracies and the winning candidates often not representing The People – thus, in the long run threatening our Democracy.
Adding an additional row at the bottom of each candidate box on ballots for federal elections (president and congress) stating “None of the Above” gives voters the choice to reject all listed candidates.
By giving voters this alternative, they can show their displeasure with the current antiquated system. A “win” of “None of the Above” will create an impasse that should compel politicians to reform it by creating a new, viable and fair system that is approved by the American people and gives them a broader and just choice in selecting its representatives.