Document:Interview with Richard Winger: Difference between revisions

Interview of Richard Winger  

Patrick Nicholson  

Why did you become an advocate for minor political parties for more equitable ballot access laws?  

You are an expert on election law in federal courts in nine states. Tell us about testifying in court for ballot access.  

‘Ballot Access News’ began publishing in 1985.  Please describe what were the main ballot access hurdles, then compared to now.  

Do you think it comes down to the individual judges and their political leanings?  

In 1985, you helped found the Coalition on Free and Open Elections (COFOE). An organization intended to coordinate action and provide mutual support among the various minor parties to liberalize ballot access laws through state legislatures as well as through the courts.  Please describe COFOE’s successes and disappointments.  

So, you take all political denominations then?  

You are a longtime supporter of the Libertarian Party. In 2014 you were inducted into the Libertarian Party's Hall of Liberty, which recognizes a lifetime of work in the libertarian movement. From your perspective what can the party do to increase its influence?   

Who are the forces that are aligned against you?  

That will pull votes away from him, just like their claim that Jill Stein did that to Hillary Clinton?  

That's a very common narrative.  So, it ties right into the Democratic Party’s push to not allow third parties?  

Do you foresee that the Libertarian Party will ever become a major political force?  

Isn’t that the reason why third parties are important, to create that influence?  

In 1986, you ran for election for the office of California Secretary of State as a Libertarian. What advice do you have for Libertarians that want to run for political office?  

As a lifelong Californian living in San Francisco, please tell us your perspective on how the state has changed over the years.  

There are those who assert that third parties only worsen the problems of gridlock and act as political spoilers.  How do you answer their concerns?  

Our winner-take-all electoral system ensures that we will have only two major parties, no matter how many political parties there may be. Why is this?  

Is that like a parliamentary system?   

Is that why we no longer have vigorous and active third parties?  

So, is there a fear of debating a third-party candidate?  

I guess it shows that if you're a straight shooter, then people are going to listen to you.  

In California, Democrats control all statewide offices, the state senate and assembly and control all but eleven of the fifty-three congressional seats.  California’s biggest political battles are not between Democrats and Republicans, but rather between factions within the Democratic Party.  Thus, it has been said that California is a one-party state.  Please tell us what you think can be done to get more competition in California politics.  

Do you think that they could ever make a comeback because it used to be more of a balance between Democrats and Republicans. And in the last 11 years, the Democrats have had a supermajority.  

Prop 14 was a full-throttled attack on third parties and forced independent voters to choose between the duopoly or just two Democrats, or to not vote at all.  What are your thoughts on this?  

So that that's completely contrary to where you're going with your ballot access.  

When only two Democrats are running in the general election – upwards to twenty percent of electorate decline to vote.  The concern is that if you had any other issue that prevented or disenfranchised 20% of the electorate that that would be a crisis, and you would certainly have to look into that.  

In 2010, California voters theoretically put redistricting in the hands of a ‘citizen’s commission’ where decisions were supposed to be based on testimony from the general public in open debate.  It has been said that Democrats conceived of a way around this nonpartisan process by covertly enlisting local voters and community groups to pose as independents when they testified in front of the ‘citizen’s commission’.  Thus, ensuring that this – once in a decade process – was manipulated to maximize districts that tilted toward Democrats.  What are your thoughts on this?  

What about voting by mail? In past elections - pre COVID - you had to tell the county register that you wanted to receive a mail ballot because you were going to be out of town. You had to petitioned them to get your ballot by mail, but now everything is done by mail. They send it out automatically. Do you think that that's a good thing?  

Do you think there is ballot harvesting where they gather up a number of ballots from different people?  

What about voter apathy.  Citizens feel left out and let down by the political class, by career politicians.  A lot of Californians think that their vote doesn’t even matter. Do you think that voter apathy would change if we had third parties?  

There was a push to have the State of Jefferson.  They wanted to break away from Northern California.  

From 2000 to 2020, California had a net loss of people to other U.S. states and lost a congressional seat.  What are your thoughts on this?  

Due to the unpopularity of Joe Biden and Donald Trump there is much discussion that this may be the time when a viable third-party candidate could become president.  Do you think this is possible?  

Times have changed from when Gary Hart was running as a Democrat.