You’ve seen them on CNN, MSNBC, and the Colbert Report. Come November you may be hearing about American’s Elect even more. That’s because the non-profit, non-partisan organization is intent on changing presidential politics forever with an internet based nominating process that promises a bipartisan ticket that “answers directly to voters-not the political system.” Americans Elect COO Elliot Ackerman sits down to expand on their ideas and agenda with Point Nine Nine, for that, we thank him.
1. What exactly is Americans Elect (AE) and how did the idea come about?
Americans Elect is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that is inviting every registered voter to participate in a direct nominating convention this spring at AmericansElect.org that will put a third choice on the ballot for the 2012 presidential election. We are opening up the political process to give all voters the opportunity to participate in a more meaningful way than ever before. We’re not a third party—we’re a second way to nominate a president. The winning ticket of the AE convention will be made up of a presidential and vice presidential candidate who are from different parties, and the ticket will be on the ballot in all 50 states in the 2012 election.
Americans Elect was founded in March 2010 by a group of Americans from across the political spectrum who were concerned about our increasingly dysfunctional political system. The idea of an online nominating convention for president and vice-president was inspired by a prior organization called Unity08, which attempted a similar effort in 2008.
2. We’ve seen you on The Colbert Report and Meet the Press. Thomas Friedman even called AE “the next ipod.” Why do you think there is so much buzz surrounding your group?
Because we’re taking what have originally been the functions of the two major parties, and we are leveraging our latest technologies to put those functions into the hands of the American people. We’re reimagining the political process and the role all Americans play in it—using the Internet to open up the politics just as it has opened up the market place. This is getting so much “buzz” because Americans realize that there is no reason why the they should only have two choices when they cast their vote for president, especially when those two choices were made by powerful minorities in each party, not by the American population as a whole.
3. How many state’s ballots have you made it onto thus far and what kind of obstacles do you foresee in the lead up to November?
We are already on the ballot in 14 states: Arizona, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, Nevada, Michigan, Ohio, Colorado, Utah, Mississippi, Rhode Island, Vermont and California. Ballot access is the single biggest hurdle that Americans Elect must overcome to make our direct nominating convention successful. Ballot access laws grossly favor the two major parties, so any groups that are not part of the two-party system face huge obstacles to get on the ballot in each state. Americans Elect is doing this so that the American people can nominate a candidate outside the two-party system that they think is the best choice for president, not just a candidate that Republicans or Democrats put on the ballot.
4. Does a nominee have to be a politician?
A nominee does not have to be a politician. Any candidate who is constitutionally qualified and has a background similar to any of the previous presidents can run for the Americans Elect ticket. Common examples of these might be former governors or congressmen/women, presidents of large universities or individuals who have held major military commands. However, if a candidate is constitutionally qualified but doesn’t exhibit this type of leadership experience, they can still qualify for the Americans Elect ticket by showing a certain level of delegate support. For details on this please see our Briefing Book for Candidates and Draft Committees on our official documents page.
5. The last time a third party presidential candidate won an election was 1860. Why is this year different from past years when third party candidates merely “stole” votes from other establishment candidates?
The candidate that inherits the Americans Elect ticket will have a place on the ballot in all 50 states. That in itself is enough to put that candidate on a level playing field with the two major parties. This candidate will not simply be there to “steal” votes from one party or another. The candidate who wins the Americans Elect ticket will have been chosen by voters of all political backgrounds- this won’t just be a product of a particular party’s support. The more delegates that sign up, the more reflective this choice will be of the American population as a whole, and if our numbers of delegates continue to grow as they have been, this will be a winning ticket, not just a spoiler. By holding the nominating convention online and opening it to independents and members of all parties, it will result in an unprecedented level of voter participation in the nominating process.
6. It is relatively easy to sit at a computer and cast a vote to nominate. Are you worried about turnout on Election Day?
Americans Elect is primarily focusing on the nominating process for the presidential election. The nonpartisan ticket that comes out of our June nominating convention will inherit the Americans Elect line on the ballot in all 50 states, but Americans will not advocate or campaign for any candidates. It is up to the Americans Elect nominee to campaign and garner support for the general election. But with a ticket chosen by voters from across the political spectrum via direct nomination, we wouldn’t anticipate that the future AE candidate would have trouble transferring their support from the nominating convention to the general election.
7. One of the major areas of contention that people cite with the current status quo is the amount of money in politics and the lack of disclosure. How do you reconcile your policy not to disclose donors with your attempt at a new political reality?
We have had more than 4,000 individuals donate to the Americans Elect effort. Our seed money came from a group of about 50 individuals, and their contributions were made in the form of loans, to be paid back through delegate contributions to Americanselect.org. The goal is to have no individual contribute more than 10,000 dollars to the effort. Those that have given large sums of money are free to disclose themselves, but that is up to them. Many large donors have chosen not to disclose because the hyper-partisan environment we live in would surely result in political retribution. They also do not want any candidates who have the courage to run for the Americans Elect ticket to feel indebted in any way. The money that these seed donors give to Americans Elect goes toward 50-state ballot access and support of a process that gives all voters a voice.
8. Some concerns have been brought up regarding your Board of Advisors. What is their role and how are they chosen?
The role of our Board of Advisors varies from media appearances to roles on committees such as our Candidate Certification Committee and our Rules Committee. The Board provides support and advice for the organization. Members were chosen based on their experience in fields such as politics and business and what they can offer in terms of guidance and direction for the organization. However, the role of nominating a candidate in the convention lies solely in the hands of the delegates.
9. Does AE have plans beyond the 2012 elections?
Americans Elect is focused solely on the presidential election for this cycle. However, if the Americans Elect ticket gets 5% of the popular vote in the next election, we will have ballot access in most states in 2014 and 2016. We hope to set an example and show Americans that the political process can and should be changed. By putting a nonpartisan ticket on the presidential ballot, Americans Elect hopes to foster a sense of compromise and pragmatic problem solving that will trickle down to other levels of government, and other elections as well. Some day there might be a Maryland Elects or Colorado Elects, for example.
