Blue state shocker: California voter registrations show ultra right-wing party fastest growing in state

AROUND THE BLOCK

News with a Twist

500,000 California voters registered for the American Independent Party – most by mistake

Word “independent” confuses no party preference voters with ultra right-wing party

The Los Angeles Times reported today that over 500,000 voters in California registered for the American Independent party (AIP), almost three-quarters of them by mistake.

Unless they revise their registration preference by May 23, (the  California primary is on June 7), these voters will not be able to vote for either the Democratic or Republican candidates for president.

In another example of the confusing and convoluted American election regulations, subject to not only state-by-state differences but also party-by-party-by-state-by state dissimilarities, California has an open primary system allowing voters of one party affiliation to vote for candidates in another party…except in presidential primaries…where only non-affiliated voters may vote for a Democratic or AIP candidate, but not a Republican.

Wait, what?

On a side note, there is no confirmation that there is growing support for California Proposition 1,252 that calls for changing the California Bear State Republic flag to the California Banana State Republic flag. Voting on that, and 346 other California propositions this year will be held on August 9, California Special Proposition Voting Day. This special election day was set up recently to allow California voters, according to Secretary of State Alex Padilla, to better consider propositions. In discussing the new voting day Padilla said, “Look, each year we have over 1,000 propositions for California voters to consider. Rather than have them all on one day, we believe three, four, maybe up to six separate elections will better allow Californians to exercise their democratic right.”

Some high-profile figures unwittingly joined the AIP party when they meant to declare they had no party affiliation including celebrities Demi Moore, Emma Stone, Sugar Ray Leonard and Kaley Cuoco (?), as well as Patrick Schwarzenegger, son of the state’s former GOP governor, and Silicon Valley power players Mark Pincus and Jim Breyer.

While news sources have suggested that the mistake was due to a “clerical error” or a “confusing form,” closer inspection of the actual registration form seems to indicate that declaring that you have no party affiliation (otherwise known as “No Party Affiliation”) is fairly self-evident. 

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To be clear, the American Independent Party’s platform opposes abortion rights and same sex marriage, and calls for building a fence along the entire United States border, all extremely popular positions in California. 

While segregationist Alabama governor George Wallace founded AIP, on a positive note, the party no longer supports segregation, according to Mark Seidenberg, the AIP chairman.

Seidenberg went on to say, “ I’m just sorry that people get confused. A lot of people just don’t understand what they’re doing when they fill out a form.”

There is no evidence to support the theory that California voters’ "not knowing what they're doing when they fill out a form" is a direct result of infamous Proposition 13 which, among other things, so restricted California school funding that the state has dropped to 43^rd out of the 50 states in quality of education, just above West Virginia.

In an attempt to avoid confusion in future elections, Around the Block, in the spirit of civic duty, has sent the an edited registration form to Secretary of State Padilla for consideration.

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