I have nothing against independent candidates. To me, they’re like any other candidate, except with fewer reasons to vote for them.
But this year, I have, for the first time, felt a slight twinge of sympathy for independents. Or it could be gas from that Impossible Burger.
Non-party candidates for the U.S. Senate must collect 4,000 signatures from registered Maine voters by July 1 to qualify for the November ballot. That’s twice as many names as party hopefuls in about double the time. Even so, under normal circumstances, that’s difficult. The average person needs to be convinced the candidate requesting their signature isn’t some weirdo with bizarre ideas, a complete lack of qualifications and offspring doing shady business deals with China. We already have Republicans and Democrats for that stuff.
But these are not normal circumstances. Political hopefuls can’t simply accost passersby on the street. Large gatherings are banned. Door-to-door canvassing is forbidden. There’s no way to obtain the necessary names.
Even if there were, petitions must be notarized in the presence of the person who collected them. Not many notaries are willing to handle sheets of paper possibly contaminated with coronavirus cooties.
The net result is you’re almost certainly not going to have a chance this fall not to vote for the likes of Tiffany Bond, a Portland lawyer; Leigh Hawes, a truck driver from Skowhegan; or Linda Wooten, a Republican-turned-independent from Auburn. Their outsider Senate candidacies appear doomed by the pandemic.
To be fair, their candidacies were doomed long before anybody ever heard of Wuhan. Bond ran for the 2nd Congressional District seat in 2018, amassing a microscopic number of votes. Her ballot appeal in a statewide race is also unlikely to be visible to the naked eye. Hawes, a one-time write-in candidate for Congress, has no organization, no money and no name recognition, so yeah. Wooten wants to offer a right-wing alternative to incumbent GOP U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, which plays well with fringy types hoarding guns and toilet paper.
The only independents who might make the ballot are Lisa Savage and Max Linn. Savage started running as a Green Independent until discovering there aren’t enough members of that party who know how to sign their names. So, she switched to become a lower-case independent and collected sufficient signatures before the state shut down. Linn also apparently got his names early, but that might not mean he’s on the ballot. Two years ago, the sometimes Trump Republican, sometimes Obama Democrat and consistent kook didn’t make it because of disqualified signatures.
Bond and her ilk don’t think the system is fair. They want the state to change the rules to accommodate those inconvenienced by social distancing.
“We shouldn’t be excluding people from democracy because they are not in a [political] party,” Bond told Pine Tree Watch. “They should just say you need half as many signatures and here’s how to get them notarized.”
In March, Vermont passed emergency legislation waiving many requirements to get on the ballot, Connecticut may follow suit through an executive order. The Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled in April that candidates could qualify for the primary ballot with half the usual signatures. A few states now allow electronic signature gathering. Minor parties have gone to court in Illinois to demand easier ballot access.
All this amounts to creating a bad precedent. If Maine decided to ease the rules because of the current crisis, what happens if future campaigns are disrupted by a flood, a blizzard or an invasion of giant radioactive lobster people. Once we start carving out exceptions, it’s tough to stop. It’s only a matter of time before candidates qualify for the ballot because their feet hurt, their kid had soccer practice or the dog ate their petitions.
Independent candidates are a vital part of our electoral system – if by vital you mean that an important one comes along about once a decade. That’s enough to prove the current system is fair – sorta – but not so fair as to plague voters with an epidemic of woozy-headed options.
Petition me by emailing aldiamon@herniahill.net.
Call your state Representative and Senator and tell them to get back to work now!
https://legislature.maine.gov/house/house/MemberProfiles/ListAlpha
http://legislature.maine.gov/senate-home-page/find-your-state-senator
At a time when more than 60 percent of voters say they want an alternative to the major party duopoly, putting up roadblocks to independent and minor party candidates is a bad idea. All it does is ensure the entrenched parties maintain power. Many candidates run as Democrats or Republicans only because it is easier access to the ballot. They don’t necessarily agree with everything in those parties’ platforms. Making it easier for independent candidates to access the ballot offers wider choice for all voters. Sure, there will be a few strange birds in the flocks of candidates, but shouldn’t it be the voters who decide rather than a bunch of government gatekeepers intent on keeping their cronies in power?
Serious question here (for a change).
Can anyone offer an explanation as to why Angus King just doesn’t join the Democratic Party outright?
I would ask him directly but that would result in another lie being told.
There is nothing Independent about Angus King.
Why not just be honest and join the party?
Think outside the liberal box, think Senator LePage. Given Kings decided lack of gravitas, real Political independence or vision, what do we have to lose? King is a flat out liberal wrapped in a cheap suit he bought in Virginia before he came north to scam Mainers. He not from Maine and clearly shares the values of the liberal idiots warming chair, at our expense, in Augusta. Long past the time for king to go away.
And while your asking those questions Private planet, can we ask a one more.
When will the lifers in congress retire???? There are maybee a dozen lifers in congress who should have
Retired years ago. Our lives would be MUCH better if they had. Some examples below.
Nancy Pelosi pushing 80
Maxine Waters about 80
Diane Fienstein. 86
These are the most troublesome 3 old timers. Others that should have retired years ago:
Richard Shelby. 80+
Jim Inhofe. 84+
Sanders Levin. 89?
Sam Johnson. 80+
Pat Roberts. 80+
Bernice Johnson 80+
Can anyone ever agree to term limits???? Not in congress, but maybeee a nation wide grass roots push for
It. Wouldn’t that be wonderful???
To clarify, Lisa Savage collected over 9,000 signatures and has turned them in and will be on the ballot in November. lisaformaine.org
If your state rep isn’t working for you in Augusta right now, they don’t deserve to be there.
Our one term governor Is a liberal joke at this point. Fact, our economy is destroyed. The almighty tax and spend department is looking at historic loses. Are you willing to pay more in taxes for everything because you have an idiot in Augusta that doesn’t get it? Government In Augusta picked the winners and losers in the shut down tyranny. Real easy for the folks in the bottomless pit of educational spending , laughably deemed essential. Sure, if you’re home collecting free money, everything is just fine, no pain there, let’s party. However, if you’re losing your shirt, you’re screwed. So says our tyrant governor. Make sure anyone taking away your right to a livelihood is finished. If you ever needed a reason to fight, your livelihood might be a good one.
We agree, William Sampson. 3rd party candidates are essential for a healthy democracy. Indeed, I’ll sign a ballot for an independent who wants to serve public office and you’re right, it’s up to the voters. Ranked Choice Voting has completely changed the dynamic of politics and upended the false dichotomy of the duopoly. It also invites cooperative, revelatory forums in which we can have conversations that amplify the issues we care about. Check out the Maine Youth Climate Strikes/350 Maine/Maine Youth Climate Justice U.S. Senate Candidate Forum from April 24th or USM Muskie School for Public Policy Forum from April 20th.
I’m working hard to get U.S. Senate candidate Lisa Savage elected. I want a representative that has people and planet at the center of decisions, not somewhere on the periphery or under the thumb of big monied corporate interests. The two-party system has gotten us right here to where we are, and it’s not serving people nor the planet. And don’t bother with the scarcity myth. Convert the military economy and utilize those funds for what we actually need…like mitigating the climate crisis and providing free public higher education to solve the converging crises we face in healthcare, housing, and clean food, air, and water.
Kelly
I appreciate your involvement for change.
I agree our Government gridlock is sickening and destructive.
More options “might” help.
Go for it.
I don’t know enough about your candidate yet.
I do get cautious when the word planet is used more than the word people though..
Along with the corrupt corporations, there’s also a whole lot of clueless environmental terrorists trying to save the planet that don’t care about the people on it.
We need both.
Stay Educated and Involved.
Good Luck.
If in the first five minutes I dont hear at least an honorable mention of how everyone is suppose to live and make a living while they are spending money to solve their pet problems my mind shuts down. Their world is to small.
Some of ya be careful out there… it is a cruel planet and world.. The squirrels also had a tough winter and are looking for nuts day and night..
A squirrel’s creed: The farther into the woods you go, the more nuts you find.
There are a lot of fat squirrels this year.
As far as I’m concerned, independents running for office are the only part of our present political climate that gives me hope for the future. Both Democrats and Republicans are war parties, and will lead us down that path forever, until humanity is doomed. I am also working on Lisa Savage’s campaign for Senator of Maine because she is the only candidate who is close to my positions, and who advocates a drawdown of our military. As a fellow peace activist, I want to see her win so there is a voice for the many people who would like there to be peace in the world. Peace answers most of our issues. Peace allows us to plan for future generations and to practice stewardship of our planet. Peace allows cooperation with each other, friendliness and trust between nations, and so much can be done in those conditions that is impossible now. I want to hear Lisa Savage’s voice in the Senate, a voice of integrity, honesty, compassion, equanamity, and resolution. A voice of the people that is not and will not be corrupted.