In November Arizona voters have an opportunity to dramatically change our political landscape with the adoption of Proposition 140, the Make Elections Fair Arizona Initiative. This Initiative will remove the barriers for Independent candidates and voters and incentivize traditional party candidates to address the issues of importance to Arizona voters.
Think where we would be today if our legislators had respected the overwhelming will of voters, placing country before party to pass the comprehensive immigration reform bill that was recently introduced in the Senate. For the first time in decades, we could see additional resources mobilized to address illegal border crossings, and to get legal immigrants through the process in a timely and efficient manner.
But we don’t have those tools today, largely because of the cynical actions of our former president and his legislative associates who didn’t want the current Democratic administration to have a “win” before the election in November. Imagine a different future in which legislators address immigration reform because that’s what the voters want and without fear of being “primaried” for doing the job for which they were elected. Being “primaried” refers to being eliminated in the primary election in which the most ideologically polarized party members participate in disproportionately large numbers, displacing more moderate candidates who might otherwise proceed to the general election.
Proposition 140 would create a primary election system in which voters get to choose from ALL the candidates – not just the hyper-partisan extremes that make it through the current primary system to the general election. That is what Proposition 140 could deliver for Arizona.
Proposition 140 offers us a path toward the leadership we need. That is in contrast to the current party driven system that delivers leaders who expect voters to serve their interests instead of the reverse.
It won’t change our political world overnight, but it offers the hope of assembling a more responsible group of leaders. We simply cannot let this opportunity pass us by. On November 5th, vote YES! on Proposition 140. Arizona’s future belongs to its citizens. Let’s reclaim our property.
Perri Benemelis, is the editor at the Arizona Independent Voter’s Network (AIVN) a 501(h) non-profit that promotes voting rights and responsibilities for Arizona’s independent minded voters. Reach her at perri@azvoters.net.
Leave a Reply