Meeting Notes, RDP 06/21/18

Prepared by John Medeiros

(Per Agenda)

1)  Brief reminder of mission to provide means for voters to vote against the two party system and for election reforms. 

 

Info note:  Since 1900 at least, 40% of eligible do not vote.  About half of 60% or 30% are the voters -- clearly a minority -- whose votes determine who runs our government.  We have minority rule.  Some countries get 90% voter participation; some use mandatory voting. 

 

Info note:  Credit card transactions occur with near zero error rate, at estimated volume of 10,000 per second: 600,000 per minute, 36,000,000 per hour,  864 million per day!

Why do we have disputes over the correct count of votes?

 

2)  Brief list of "things to do" officially in order to be recognized as a political party by Elections Commission (state and county), and to run as a write-in candidate. 

            (Tentative understanding after first reading.)

 

General discussion of obstacles to be overcome:  (next meeting agenda)

What specific election reforms are proposed?

Financial support is needed.

Two-party system is deeply entrenched.

Voters are entrenched in their voting habits.

Voters have difficulty imagining any "new" party being anything other than a third party as defined in our current election practices as a "splinter" party.

As challenging as the obstacles are, many people feel that our election practices are not working well and our political atmosphere is dysfunctional and dangerous.