Texans for Electoral Competition
Hello Friends:
The signers of this letter represent an array of Texans across party lines and ideology that recently formed a coalition — Texans for Electoral Competition. TEC intends to engage in supporting and opposing legislation in the 2017 legislative session to open up electoral competition for all Texans. You are receiving this letter to invite you to join our coalition.
Our broad concern — one that grew out of what we all witnessed in this last election — is that the major party machines have worked to shut down competition within their parties and from those outside the two-party duopoly. Yet, a clear plurality of voters since the 2002 Gallup poll have self-identified as “independent” and a majority of major party voters expressed clear support for “more choices”.
Our specific goals in the 2017 Texas Legislative Session are to:
* Win fair ballot access for independent candidates and other parties. * End “one-punch” straight ticket voting thereby encouraging voters to learn more about individual candidates, their platforms and qualifications. * Protect petition rights, a right Texans have enjoyed in home rule cities since 1912. * Protect the integrity of our elections and ensure that they are verifiable. * Support real redistricting reform.
The coalition meets every Wednesday night for 1-hour conference calls from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. Please join us on the call and bring your questions. Contact one of us below to get call information.
We are planning a lobby day on Friday, March 24th at the Capitol to be followed by a panel at the “Texas Populism” conference on Saturday, March 25th in Cedar Creek. Mark your calendars and watch for event details.
Click here for a paper — Death By a Thousand Signatures — by attorney Oliver Hall, a founder and counsel to the Center for Competitive Democracy in Washington, D.C.. His paper lays out some important history about how, over the last 50 years, America’s political system has become a virtual monopoly by the major party machines.
Thank you for caring about our democracy and we look forward to speaking with you and your organization.
For now, please consider liking and sharing our Facebook page – http://www.facebook.com/txelections.
Sincerely,
TEXANS FOR ELECTORAL COMPETITION
Linda Curtis, League of Independent Voters, Volunteer Coordinator 512.213.4511 katija gruene, Secretary, Green Party of Texas, 210.471.1791 Mark Miller, Libertarian Party of Texas, Vice-Chair, 512.789.6957 Mike Lewis, Left Up to Us, 719.337.6635