Anyone here live in California? Is this true?

[Bread and Circus]

http://usuncut.com/politics/california-primary-independents/

A Los Angeles Times investigation has discovered startling evidence that almost a half a million California voters may not be able to vote in the Democratic primary on June 7 due to some voter registration confusion.

Californians by the hundreds of thousands have registered with the American Independent Party (AIP), making it the third largest party in the state. However, rather than being a standard “independent” status for voter registration purposes, the AIP is a fringe right-wing party that wants to ban abortion and same-sex marriage, seeking to free the nation from “the lawless oppression of Liberal rule” according to its website.

Apparently “a majority of (AIP) members have registered with the party in error,” as a survey of registered members found that about 73% of members polled did not realize they had joined the party.

The LA Times pollsters concluded that “fewer than 4% could correctly identify their own registration as a member of the American Independent Party.”

“I just blew it,” said California voter Deborah Silva, 64. “There were a number of choices. I just checked the box that said ‘independent.’”

This has ominous repercussions for confused would-be independent voters. The Democratic primary in California allows unaffiliated voters to participate, but membership in the AIP would exclude them from this process according to the Democratic Party’s primary rules in the state. Currently, only registered Democrats and those with “no party preference” marked are allowed to vote in the Democratic primary.

The Republican primary in California is closed to everyone but registered Republicans.

Celebrities Demi Moore, Emma Stone, Sugar Ray Leonard, Kaley Cuoco, and Patrick Schwarzenegger, son of the state’s former GOP governor, were a few high profile figures who also mistakenly registered with the AIP. They have since stated that they plan to change their registrations.

...

Confused voters only have until May 23 to change their ballots, though many independent voters likely won’t learn of their error until election day — after it’s too late.

[Agschmid]

1. Whoops. Still lots of time to correct.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

2. everyone should check their registration

[BobSmith4152]

28. Check your registration status and (re)register on 2nd link if needed

http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/registration-status/
http://registertovote.ca.gov/

[Trenzalore]

3. Are we writing the narrative for a loss in June already nt.

[Bread and Circus]

5. I just think there needs to be some awareness. I sure hope the Sanders campaign is working on this.

[LuvLoogie]

4. How come the California Republicans won't let California Democrats

vote in the Republican Primary?

[jaceaf]

16. Because they're smart about elections

They won't let non republicans hijack their elections.

[Retrograde]

40. Same reason California Democrats won't let California Republicans

vote in the Democratic primary: the presidential primary is a closed party primary.

Actually, it has varied: I've been a non-partisan voter for 30 years, and sometimes the Republicans let us vote in their primaries but not the Democrats, sometimes the Democrats but not the Republicans, sometimes both, sometimes neither.

Recently, this has only applied to presidential primaries: California voters approved a proposition that makes primaries for all other offices open. This was put on the ballot as a sop to state Republican lawmakers so they'd pass a budget. I did not (and still do not) approve.

[Sheepshank]

57. Almost there...in order to vote Rep, must be registered Rep

To vote Dem, must be EITHER registered Dem or unaffiliated (true indie)

[Agnosticsherbet]

6. California Primary NPP (No Party Preference) Information. (from sos.ca.gov)

Voting in Presidential Primary Elections
Voters who registered to vote without stating a political party preference are known as No Party Preference (NPP) voters. NPP voters were formerly known as "decline-to-state" or “DTS” voters.

For presidential elections: NPP voters, unless they choose otherwise (see below), will receive a “non-partisan” ballot that does not include presidential candidates. A nonpartisan ballot contains only the names of candidates for voter-nominated offices and local nonpartisan offices and measures.

Voting in the June 7, 2016, Presidential Primary Election
An NPP voter will receive a non-partisan ballot, which will have no presidential candidates listed.

However, upon request, an NPP voter can instead vote the presidential ballot of the following parties:

American Independent Party
Democratic Party
Libertarian Party
Why? Each political party has the option of allowing NPP voters to vote in their presidential primary election. 135 days before the election, political parties must notify the Secretary of State's office whether or not they will allow NPP voters to vote in their presidential primary election. The above three parties notified the Secretary of State that they will allow NPP voters to request their party’s presidential ballot for the June 7, 2016, Presidential Primary Election.

How to request a party ballot? The NPP voter may ask their county elections office or poll worker, at their polling place, for a ballot for one of the above three parties. An NPP voter may not request more than one party's ballot.

The following three parties notified the Secretary of State that they have chosen not to allow NPP voters to request their party’s presidential ballot participate in their presidential primary election:

Republican
Green
Peace & Freedom
If an NPP voter wants to vote for a presidential candidate in the Republican, Green, or Peace and Freedom party, the NPP voter must re-register to vote with one of those parties by May 23, 2016. To register online go to registertovote.ca.gov.

The warning about the "American Independent Party" has been out for a while.

I find it interesting that the Green Party is closed. How undemocratic of them.

[MFM008]

7. If you cant register properly

on time, and check it, perhaps voting is to complicated for you.

[Bread and Circus]

8. LoL... I love how you insult people while using the wrong form of "too"

The irony.

[NurseJackie]

39. But it's not nearly as amusing as people who think that ...

... publicly correcting another's typo and trying to appear intellectually superior is a good way to win an argument or to make their point. In my opinion, such tactics indicate a position of weakness and insecurity in their arguments.

[Bread and Circus]

41. It means so much coming from you, NurseJackie. Paragon of wisdom, you are.

[NurseJackie]

50. You're very welcome! :-D

Glad i could help.

I appreciate the kind words, too.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

21. Jim Crow literacy tests for voters! WooHoo!

Sounds fair to me!

[Dems to Win]

9. This has been a problem for YEARS

Using the word 'independents' for non-affiliated voters has always resulted in mistaken registrations for parties with 'independent' in the name. It was Todd Palin's excuse for being a member of the secessionist Alaska Independence Party.

Better to call voters who don't belong to a political party non-affiliated, decline to state, or no party preference.

[KingFlorez]

10. I don't know what is so startling about it

This has been an issue for years. All people see is Independent and they automatically mark the AIP box without any other thought. Reading is fundamental.

[JSup]

11. Yes, it's true

You have almost a month to change your affiliation, though.

[Hoyt]

12. When the party flies confederate flags, how can one make that mistak

[basselope]

15. Because those don't appear on registration forms.

[Hoyt]

25. If you say so. Folks ought to pay attention, and stop thinking just because someone is an

"Independent" they are laudable.

[basselope]

36. It's a registration form.

They, like me, want nothing to do with the democrats or republicans, so they look for "Independent".

In Cali; however, that is "Decline to state", but many people see "American Independent" on the list and chose it, thinking they are registering independent.

[Hoyt]

42. And look what they got, Tea Baggers.

[basselope]

46. No... they got disenfranchised.

[randome]

47. But by their own hand. How would you rectify this on the form?

[hr][font color="blue"][center]Precision and concision. That's the game.[/center][/font][hr]

[basselope]

48. Open Primary.

[randome]

51. Not feasible. Not going to happen. Unless California residents decide otherwise, of course.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]Precision and concision. That's the game.[/center][/font][hr]

[basselope]

55. They did.

[randome]

58. So, again, how would you change the registration form?

Obviously CA does not have fully open primaries. Since that's not going to happen in the foreseeable future -unless Californians make that change- how should the registration form be changed? I don't see anyone in this thread with any good suggestions, just wails and lamentations about the current process.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Precision and concision. That's the game.[/center][/font][hr]

[basselope]

60. *SIGH*

California has full open primaries. It was opposed by all the political parties, but proposition 14 passed anyway and now ALL statewide and congressional elections are OPEN PRIMARIES.

So again, CALIFORNIANS have made that change.

However, party primaries are still controlled by the corrupt organizations known as the democrats and the republicans and they can decide who they let vote.

Since in MOST (almost all) elections in California party affiliation is meaningless.. this only comes up every 4-8 years.

The SOLUTION is to make ALL primaries nationwide Open Primaries and do away with caucuses as well.

[randome]

62. So it's NOT mandatory. I get more and more confused the more I try to understand this.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]Precision and concision. That's the game.[/center][/font][hr]

[basselope]

72. It is mandatory for all statewide elections.

However, political parties are not subject to those rules.

In much the same way religious institutions don't have to pay taxes, political organizations find themselves exempt from basic rules.

[randome]

78. Thanks for walking me through that. Now I get it.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]Precision and concision. That's the game.[/center][/font][hr]

[Android3.14]

13. Yes, it is true. Someone lives in California.

As far as the article, this has become SOP for the Clinton voter suppression express.

[dsc]

17. yes they founded the party back in 1967 just to confuse voters today

do you even think about how ridiculous these theories are when you post them.

[randome]

18. No. They don't.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]Precision and concision. That's the game.[/center][/font][hr]

[Android3.14]

20. Sorry, kid, but it is what it is

But just to be clear, I am not theorizing, nor even hypothesizing, which is the word I suspect you might have been seeking.

I am correctly identifying behavior we have seen throughout this primary process. The behavior of HRC/DWS/DNC and DLC has been antithetical to the principals of democratic societies.

If you think support for democracy is ridiculous, then you are already lost.

[LisaM]

83. And caucuses are just so Democratic.

I suppose Hillary invented them, too.

[Android3.14]

84. Your candidate subverts the process by suppressing people's access

Few give a flying fuck if it is a caucus or not.

[KingFlorez]

23. This is not something new

Clinton didn't come up with the AIP, it has existed for years and for years people have marked their box without reading the registration form thoroughly. It has nothing to do with Clinton.

[Aerows]

26. I'm not looking forward to November.

The wailing and gnashing of the teeth that is going to come when Hillary voters get *their* votes tossed is going to be epic.

It's all fun and games when it benefits you, but when it doesn't the crying starts.

[oberliner]

38. Clinton voter suppression?

How exactly does this article implicate Clinton?

[basselope]

14. Yes, it is true and the Bernie campaign is doing something about it.

My wife just canvased this weekend, talking to voters and giving the information to find out if they made this mistake and how to correct it.

The Clinton campaign doesn't seem to care.

[Bread and Circus]

19. Thanks for that information.

[WhiteTara]

22. That's what happens when you don't read the whole form or ask questions

I always let people know what the AIP was and helped them decline to state. I never wanted to give those nasty people any support.

[Gwhittey]

70. Wow

I was bitching to some people down here in NC about our idiotic voter laws that have been made to disenfranchise other POC voters and my redneck GOP next door neighbor said to me "That's what happens when you don't read about voter requirements" BillBob is that you man?

[WhiteTara]

71. Absolutely.

I get around. California has some of the most liberal voting laws and AIP is a real party. Too bad people who are supposed to be with it don't pay attention and people who help with voter registration don't educate.

[Tarc]

24. I'd be curious to see what the California party registration form looks like

Finding it a bit hard to believe that so many people skimmed, saw the word "independent", and ticked off a checkbox without really reading it.

[Hoyt]

27. Exactly. Anything "Independent" is popular nowadays. I can

see people signing up for Independent Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. Sounds cool to some who are young or just oblivious.

[pat_k]

35. It looks like this:

http://static.latimes.com/american-independent-party-california-voters/

[pat_k]

34. Here it is:

http://static.latimes.com/american-independent-party-california-voters/

[Tarc]

68. That seems pretty hard to mess up

It's alphabetical, it isn't right next to any sort of generic "independent" box, it's not screwed up like the Florida butterfly ballots of 2000.

[underthematrix]

29. I live in northern California and yes this story is true.

I see it as a READING COMPREHENSION problem or just plain stupidity. The form is available online. Here's what happened. About a half million folks were asked their party affiliation on voter reg form. One of the parties listed was the AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE PARTY. Some people selected this thinking they were registering as independents. They could have chosen no party preference. You can vote in the DEM party's primary if you are a registered DEMOCRAT or have NO PARTY PREFERENCE. Those people still have time to change their party affiliation to either no party preference or DEMOCRAT.

I know the feels crowd want to assign some nefarious intent to what happened but it's nothing more than the stupidity and poor reading comprehension of these outraged voters.

I just moved back to CA two years ago, registered as a DEM and voted in 2014. I just shake my head at the level of stupidity in America and the need to always blame someone else for it.

[wyldwolf]

31. ^^ This

We shouldn't have to coddle voters.

[Bread and Circus]

33. Ok, I will bookmark this for disenfranchised confused voters come November... Wyldwolf says...

Suck it up!!!

[underthematrix]

43. They're not disenfranchised. Stupid people is not a protected class.

Instead of watching, maybe they should spend more time reading.

[Bread and Circus]

53. Right wing people say the same thing about a lot of minority groups that for one reason or another..

don't wade through byzantine rules to get to vote.

I guess you are in good company.

[nadinbrzezinski]

30. Yes, this is pointed to the SOS every four years

No serious. And every four years there is great kabuki theater about helping with the confusion

[ghostsinthemachine]

32. My registration is gone gone, gone

I even re registered a couple of months ago, as part of the DMV experience. Even though I already was and had voted from that Addy before. Gone, gone ,gone.
I will try to find out tomorrow. But for now, I ain't registered. I've never not been registered.

On edit, I did not put anything but Democratic party on the form.

[pat_k]

37. True -- LA Times and Registration Stats

Here's the LA times article:
http://static.latimes.com/american-independent-party-california-voters/

And here are the voter stats as of January from:
http://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov//ror/ror-pages/county.pdf

7,438,655 Democratic:
4,767,259 Republican:
4,141,860 No preference:
472,019 American Independent:

Other
102,688 Green
120,578 Libertarian:
75,579 Peace and Freedom
140,775 Other
_________
439,620

Eligible but Not Registered
7,325,078

[pat_k]

45. Not sure if it will do any good,

but I sent tweet to CA state director

@MichaelCeraso Does campaign have Amer. Ind. Party voter lists? LA Times reports 1/2 mil registered AIP, most by mistake. Are they phoning?

[KamaAina]

49. I have half a mind to re-register AIP and try to get its nomination for something.

Remember, only 27% of AIP voters are right-wing nutjobs, close to the 28% of 'Murkins who thought Dumbya was doing a fine job.

[ContinentalOp]

52. So independents aren't the sharpest tools in the shed?

What a shock!

[Bread and Circus]

54. You folks are some hopeless people.

[ContinentalOp]

77. That's how I feel about "independents"

70% of independents reliably vote for either republicans or democrats but are just afraid to admit which party they support for some reason. I don't have much respect for that. The true independents are 12% of the electorate and honestly I can't respect somebody who has ever voted for a Republican, so I don't understand people who sometimes switch parties depending on the individual candidate. I have a feeling that they're single issue voters, poorly informed, or they just vote based on personality. Then finally there are some greens and other third party supporters, but they're a tiny tiny fraction of the electorate, and most of the time they're simply throwing their votes away imo.

But sure, lets tear our party in half to try to appeal to these elusive, fickle, "independents."

[randome]

81. It's a fad. A way to maintain the veneer of being truly independent.

Also a way to avoid having to work for change. It's always easier to rail about shortcomings from the sidelines. I remember what John Travolta said to Samuel Jackson in Pulp Fiction when Jackson said he was going to wander the world off the grid: "A bum. You've decided to be a bum."

Declaring oneself independent is a way to avoid commitments and work.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Precision and concision. That's the game.[/center][/font][hr]

[Califonz]

56. About 7.3 million "eligible but not registered"

That's where registration efforts should be focused.

[Major Hogwash]

59. Governor Jerry Brown endorsed Bernie.

But, evidently he forgot to turn on the microphone.

[artislife]

61. We need a Haitian to make sure we have free elections.

[Marrah_G]

63. Please spread this through social media

[OilemFirchen]

64. I suppose I should feel a bit of empathy.

But I simply can't.

Declaring yourself free of political parties by joining a political party is hilarious, even if unintentional. It's akin to buying a ticket for the Anarchist Convention.

Good to hear that they have recourse. Here's hoping they're smart enough to use it.

[Bread and Circus]

65. Anarchist Convention... that is funny. I got a chuckle. Thanks.

[marlakay]

66. True. Bernie has lists of

All of the American independents in cali and green party and they will be called in time to change if they wish to.

Was top priority to ca campaign staff. I just met our new paid guy for my area at meeting.

[baldguy]

67. People get taken in by the RW lie that "Democrats are just as bad as Republicans" and get screwed.

If they're too gullible and/or stupid to register correctly after jumping through whatever hoops are necessary, am I supposed to care?

[MineralMan]

69. Lots of publicity about this and plenty of time to

change registration.

No effect on the results. Bogus issue, anyhow.

[Bread and Circus]

74. Voter registration awareness is bogus?

[MineralMan]

75. No, but low information voters registering for

George Wallace's party are bogus. Ignorant is as ignorant does. Sorry.

[amborin]

73. I posted about this over a week ago

[Kalidurga]

76. Keep posting til May

A lot of people just scroll down the latest threads page and they don't check in everyday.

[amborin]

79. yes, May 23 is the deadline for registering properly in CA

[Dem2]

80. Thank god they have time to change their registration status

[ecstatic]

82. SMH. nt