|
For Immediate Release May 25th, 2008
Contact: Clark Duffe, 405-760-3108 duffe@okies.info
Oklahoma
Independents Want
More Candidates on the Ballot
The Oklahoma Coalition of
Independents (OKIES) wants all Oklahomans to know about the three days
when they can file to run for office at the state Capitol: June 2nd to 4th
OKIES hopes to bring more
accountability to incumbents' actions and by encouraging Oklahomans to
run for political office, whatever their party affiliation.
The democratic process in Oklahoma
is suffering. Over half of state legislative races went unopposed in
2006. So the names of most incumbents never even showed up on a ballot,
yet they still "represent" the people of their district.
Clark Duffe, OKIES Chairman, said,
"Campaigning for office is a great way to get out your message and
affect your community." All that is required is having been
registered with the same party affiliation for six months in your district
and a $200 filing fee for most offices. Qualifications to run
and a list of offices
to be filled are available from the Oklahoma State Election Board.
James M. Branum,
Secretary of the Oklahoma Green Party, said, "Since Oklahoma's ballot
access laws kept me from being on the ballot as a Green, I ran as an
Independent for state house in 2006. It was a
empowering experience. I got to speak at several candidate
forums and connect with my neighbors on the campaign trail, and in the end
even got to see some of my ideas be adopted by the candidate who beat
me. I recommend all registered Independents to consider running,
because otherwise our voice won't be heard."
Richard Prawdzienski, past Independent
candidate for State House 39, addressed concerns about the possibility
of someone winning against a candidate of an established party.
"If a 19-year-old freshman at the University
of Oklahoma can be elected mayor
in Muskogee, imagine what anyone
can do."
Jacqueline Salit, founder and political
director of the national organization, Committee for a Unified Independent
Party, commented, "With 70% of Americans saying that the country is on
the wrong track, the problem is not just that our policies have gone wrong.
It's that our political process isn't working. That's a big reason why so
many people are becoming independents and why independents feel that we've
got to change the way our political system works. It's really a rebellion
against the "divine right" of the major parties. Running for office
with a message about the need for independent reform is a way to bring that
challenge to a next step."
The Oklahoma Coalition of
Independents (OKIES) seeks to expand voter choice by reducing the number of
unopposed races for elected office in Oklahoma.
OKIES also supports structural reforms that will engage more potential
voters in the political process, such as ballot access reform and
redistricting reform.
# # # #
|
