This is the latest letter I have sent to the Daily Oklahoman regarding ballot access in Oklahoma. I like to post both my original unedited letter and a link and quote of how the newspaper edited it. They don’t usually do a hack job, so I don’t generally worry.
In response to the article “Third party won’t be on Oklahoma’s November ballot” (September 14, 2012), this is a horrible injustice to the people of this fine state. For the 3rd presidential election in a row, Oklahoma will be the only state in the nation limited to two choices for President. The only state in the nation to deny its voters the right to cast their vote for the person the voter believes to be the best qualified for the role of president.
When will the people of this state stand up to the two party tyranny of the dominate parties? For over ten years, supporters of ballot access reform have been met with strong opposition in the Legislature and all efforts have been blocked. The most recent efforts were killed by the Republican controlled Senate. This blockage by the Republican party is mirrored in many other states as the Republican party challenges the inclusion of alternative candidates on the presidential ballot.
Oklahoma has some of the worst laws in the nation in regards to ballot access. This election and the two previous presidential elections are proof of that. We live in a Constitutional Republic, one in which the people choose who will represent them. In Oklahoma, we no longer have control over that process because the Legislature and the two major parties have usurped that right from the people.
Here is the letter published on September 21, 2012. The reason I post the edited letter is that the Daily Oklahoman stops allowing access to old articles and op-eds after a while and I like to have the full text preserved.
Regarding “Third party won’t be on state ballots” (News, Sept. 14): For the third presidential election in a row, Oklahoma will be the only state in the nation limited to two choices for president, the only state to deny its voters the right to cast their vote for the person the voter believes to be the best qualified for the role of president. When will Oklahomans stand up to the two-party tyranny of the dominant parties?
For over 10 years, supporters of ballot access reform have been met with strong opposition in the Legislature; all efforts have been blocked. The most recent efforts were killed by the Republican-controlled Senate. This blockage by the Republican Party is mirrored in many other states as the Republican Party challenges the inclusion of alternative candidates on the presidential ballot. Oklahoma has some of the worst laws in the nation regarding ballot access. This election and the two previous presidential elections are proof of that.
We live in a constitutional republic, one in which the people choose who will represent them. In Oklahoma, we no longer have control over that process because the Legislature and the two major parties have usurped that right from the people. This is a horrible injustice.
E. Zachary Knight, Newcastle
Again, not a bad edit.
I have begun a movement to protest Oklahoma’s ballot access laws. The way this is done is to skip the Presidential line of the ballot and then protest at the capital. You can find out more on Facebook.
