'Change to Voter Registration Form to include independents' Politics  

Change to Voter Registration Form to include independents

Gwen (205.188.117.8) -

Hi. An important effort to reach out to independent voters in Kentucky is underway. I wanted to let you know about it and request your participation.

Kentucky, independents have no way to identify themselves on Kentucky’s voter registration form. Independents are 39% of the population nationally, yet in Kentucky you can’t register as an independent. There’s just a category for “other” which suggests another party – so only 6% of people register in this category, far below the national average. In every other state, if people do not want to identify with a party (as most independents don’t), they are given the option to register as independents or check off no party, I don’t want to join a party, or unaffiliated. We believe that Kentucky law gives us that right.

We have launched a drive among independents to urge the secretary of state and Board of Elections to change the registration form. There are several important ways you can help: First of all, we are gathering signatures on a statement demanding that the form comply with the law and allow independents to register as independents. We’re going to use this to lobby the secretary of state and demonstrate the support for this change. We would like add your name to the list of supporters. Let us know if we can do so by emailing me at gmandell@cuip.org.

Below is the content of the letter which we will be sending to the Secretary of State:

Dear Secretary of State (and Board of Elections):

We strongly urge you to change the Kentucky voter registration form to add the designation “independent”. Furthermore we believe the state law mandates this change. The category “other” indicates another party and should remain on the form. However, most independents do not want to be in a party, and therefore, another category needs be added, such as “no party,” “I do not wish to be in a party” or “non-affiliated”. 39% of the national electorate identify ourselves as independents. We are the fastest growing constituency in the country.

This is an important issue to me and to my neighbors and colleagues. Please comply with the law and allow for the full participation and identification of independents.

Sincerely,

Here’s some other things to do to help make this campaign a success:

1. Call or email 5 friends or neighbors and ask them to sign onto the statement .Send us their names (and email addresses or addresses if no email, so we can keep them in the loop; send their phone number as well, if they want to be in the phone loop)

3. We have thousands of names of independents in Kentucky to reach. Email me at gmandell@cuip.org or call 212-609-2823 and I’ll give you the names of people to call to ask them to sign.

4. Write a letter to your local newspaper about the issue. Send us a copy (even if it doesn’t get printed) so we can use it to promote the campaign.

5. Make a contribution to the campaign. We are raising $30,000, so that we can reach out to many many more Kentucky independents. (You can do this by credit card or check).

Thanks,

Gwen Mandell

gmandell@cuip.org

www.cuip.org

Committee for A Unified Independent Party

1-800-288-3201

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Reply #1 james (208.155.132.147) -

Register as a member of the "" party. That way the newspaper can report the election results:

1000 Democrats and 1000 republicans and 1 voted today.

Reply #2 Anir Dhir (74.131.43.104) -

Dear Secretary of State (and Board of Elections):

We strongly urge you to change the Kentucky voter registration form to add the designation “independent”. Furthermore we believe the state law mandates this change. The category “other” indicates another party and should remain on the form. However, most independents do not want to be in a party, and therefore, another category needs be added, such as “no party, ” “I do not wish to be in a party” or “non-affiliated”. 39% of the national electorate identify ourselves as independents. We are the fastest growing constituency in the country.

This is an important issue to me and to my neighbors and colleagues. Please comply with the law and allow for the full participation and identification of independents.

Sincerely,

Reply #3 Marian B. Powell (67.141.30.221) -

With the merging of Democrats and Republicans into one large corporate-run interest, it is increasingly important to retain a party in this democracy that can be used as a vehicle for non-corporate interests-that's you and me.

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