Americans Elect

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Americans Elect
Example logo
Founder(s) Peter Ackerman (Chairman)
Type Social Welfare Organization[1]
Tax ID No. 27-2285014[2]
Founded April 6, 2010 (2010-04-06)[3]
Headquarters 1901 Penn Avenue, NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20006[2]
Coordinates 38°54′02″N 77°02′38″W / 38.900691°N 77.043813°W / 38.900691; -77.043813Coordinates: 38°54′02″N 77°02′38″W / 38.900691°N 77.043813°W / 38.900691; -77.043813
Origins Unity08
Key people Peter Ackerman (Chairman); Kahlil Byrd (CEO); Douglas Schoen (paid consultant); Mark McKinnon (Advisory Board member); Christine Todd Whitman (Director); Daniel B. Winslow (counsel)
Area served United States
Mission Provide a Web-based participatory mechanism leading to the nomination of a "balanced coalition ticket"[4] for the 2012 U.S. presidential election. Secure 50-state ballot access for this ticket.
Revenue $5,113,010 in 2010[2]
Endowment $1,717,857 as of December 31, 2010[2]
Employees 100+
Motto Pick a president, not a party.
Website americanselect.org

Americans Elect is a non-partisan non-profit organization in the United States which announced plans to hold the first national online presidential primary in U.S. history. Under the guidelines set forth in an appeal granted by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruling against the Federal Election Commission (FEC), to remain outside FEC regulations of political committees, Americans Elect cannot accept funds from candidates or candidate committees, nor donate funds to them, nor can the organization advocate for or against any issue.[5][6] The organization's sole purpose was to obtain signatures to get on the ballot throughout the United States and to build the technology to process an online nomination.

Americans Elect announced that it would use an Internet-based nominating process to field a ticket for the 2012 U.S. presidential election.[7] Americans Elect describes its approach as nonpartisan. Their stated mission is to give the American people more power and more say in selecting presidential candidates, and providing more competition for the two major parties in November 2012.[8] The organization is an outgrowth of an earlier movement, Unity08.[9][10] The appeals court ruled that their predecessor organization, Unity08, is not a traditional political party.[5][10]

On May 15, 2012, CEO Kahlil Byrd announced that no candidate had reached the required level of national support to qualify for Americans Elect's online convention, which, under the organization's existing rules, would mean that the primary process would end without a candidate being selected.[11] Byrd stated that Americans Elect would confer with its community and announce its next steps on May 17.[11] At the time, the leading draft candidate was Ron Paul and the leading declared candidate was Buddy Roemer.[12]

On May 17, 2012, unable to conduct a successful ballot, Americans Elect announced that "The primary process for the Americans Elect nomination has come to an end," and it would instead focus on other election-related issues.[13] Americans Elect continues to operate, most recently airing partisan television advertising during the U.S. Senate race in Maine in support of Angus King,[14] in possible violation of Americans Elect's own rules and bylaws.[15] In response to these ads the Republican Party of Maine filed a complaint against Americans Elect with the FEC, claiming the ad buy constituted "illegal coordinated spending practices" in violation of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971.[16]

Contents

History [edit]

Americans Elect was incorporated on April 6, 2010, by Peter Ackerman and Kahlil Byrd as a follow up to his work on Unity08 for the 2008 U.S. presidential election. It opened its website to begin recruiting delegates for its 2012 Presidential Primary in July 2011. During 2011 Americans Elect was placed on the 2012 Presidential ballot in 12 states. In February 2012, its website began accepting draft candidates for possible selection in the scheduled convention to be on the ballot under Americans Elect for the 2012 presidential election.

Drafting and selection of candidates [edit]

Americans Elect was scheduled to host a national online primary in two phases, ending with a convention in June 2012. The resulting ticket, chosen by Americans Elect users, would have listed on the ballot nationwide under the Americans Elect line. The organization has an open membership, which allowed any U.S. voter to draft and support his or her candidate of choice.[17] The drafting began on February 1, 2012, and in the first few hours the 360,000 delegates had initially drafted 52 possible candidates including Michael Bloomberg, Warren Buffett, Hillary Clinton, Rahm Emanuel, Jon Huntsman, Ron Paul, Condoleezza Rice, and Buddy Roemer.[18]

Any U.S. citizen thought to be constitutionally eligible was eligible to be drafted as a candidate. Americans Elect participants, referred to as delegates, could also propose and vote on the Platform of Questions, a list of questions that all candidates would have to answer before the June phase of the primary.[7] Prior to delegate voting, the positions of various potential candidates on the Platform of Questions were inferred, using voting records and public statements compiled by OnTheIssues.org, and posted on the web site.[19]

Candidates, whether drafted or self-declared, were required to receive a minimum number of clicks of support from verified delegates to advance to the American Elect online primary ballot.[20][21] Candidates who have served in any of the following positions, without having been removed from office, current criminal indictment, or conviction, needed 1,000 support clicks from each of 10 states to qualify:

All other candidates required 5,000 support clicks from each of 10 states to qualify for the primary ballot.[20]

The first phase of voting was intended to identify the six most popular certified candidates[6] through three rounds of online balloting. The organization announced that it would hold a series of three primary ballots to narrow down its field of candidates on May 8, 15, and 22, 2012.[22] However, on May 1, 2012, the first primary ballot (which had been scheduled for May 8) was cancelled, because no candidate had garnered sufficient support clicks to qualify for the ballot.[23] Voting was then rescheduled to begin on May 15, 2012.[23] However, with no candidate qualifying by that date, the primary has once again pushed off with a decision about the primary process scheduled to be made by May 17, 2012.[24]

The six finalists were expected to advance to the second phase of the primary after agreeing to the Americans Elect rules and selecting a Vice-Presidential running mate. (Declared candidates would have had to select a running mate affiliated with a party other than his or her own.)[6][17] Then, in June 2012, Americans Elect planned to choose its final candidate through an Internet-based convention, a process open to all voters, regardless of party affiliation. The intent was to provide a more open nominating process, resulting in better choices during the election.[17]

In the second phase, the six finalists were to be narrowed down to two by a series of up to three more votes, with the last ending in the selection of the official Americans Elect candidate. If, during either of the first two rounds of voting during the second phase, any candidate received more than 50% of the popular vote, victory would be declared for that candidate and subsequent rounds of voting will not be held.[4][25]

Certification by committee [edit]

To be eligible for the Americans Elect nomination, all proposed candidates with adequate support would have had to be certified by the group's Candidate Certification Committee as capable of performing the duties of office. According to the bylaws, this would have been done using criteria of demonstrated achievements (developed by the committee) that are based on qualifications of past presidents and vice presidents.[26] The members of the Candidate Certification Committee are appointed by the Board of Directors.

Americans Elect stated that, “without [the Candidate Certification Committee], the result could easily mimic the 2003 California Gubernatorial Recall Election, which attracted candidates including former child star Gary Coleman and porn star Mary Carey.”[27]

Still, a decision of the Candidate Certification Committee could have been nullified by a majority vote of all registered delegates.[1][6][28][29][30]

Americans Elect's rules stated that any nominee must be “considered someone of similar stature to our previous presidents.”[7][31]

Candidate party affiliation [edit]

Americans Elect was open to candidates from any party, as well as independents. Presidential candidates would have been required to choose a vice presidential running mate from a party different from their own to ensure a balanced ticket.[17][32]

Ballot status [edit]

Americans Elect was in the process of securing a line on the ballot in all 50 states.[33] In order to obtain ballot access nationwide, some states' guidelines required Americans Elect to register as a political party.[10]

As of May 2012, Americans Elect had gained ballot status in 28 states: Alabama, Alaska,[34] Arizona,[34] Arkansas,[35] California,[36][37] Colorado,[38] Florida,[39] Hawaii,[40] Kansas,[34] Maine,[41] Maryland, Michigan,[39] Mississippi,[42] Montana,[43] Nebraska,[44] Nevada,[34] New Mexico,[45] North Carolina,[46] North Dakota, Ohio,[47] Oklahoma,[48] Oregon, Rhode Island,[49] South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah,[50] Vermont,[51] Wisconsin[52] and Wyoming.[53] They are attempting to de-register in those states.[54]

A July 2012 resolution adopted by "all of the members of the Board of Directors of Americans Elect" (comprising at that time Peter Ackerman, Kahlil Byrd, and Joshua Levine) declared that the Board of Directors "hereby dissolves...Americans Elect's status as a qualified political party in all states...," "withdraws the Americans Elect ballot line in all states...," and "dissolves or otherwise terminates all state-based chapters or state committees of Americans Elect in all states...."[55]

The only state in which candidates ran on the American Elect party banner in 2012 was Arizona,[56] where Richard Grayson and Stephen Dolgos were candidates in Arizona's 4th and 8th Congressional Districts respectively.[57]

Organization [edit]

Americans Elect was formed by many of the individuals who were responsible for a previous attempt to nominate an Internet candidate, Unity08, and had substantially identical goals for the 2012 presidential election cycle.[9]

Americans Elect's founder and Chairman[58] is financier Peter Ackerman. Some uncertainty surrounds the identities of its other current leaders, as recent and conflicting media reports of wide-ranging personnel changes have not been explicitly confirmed or denied by Americans Elect. Co-founder and CEO Kahlil J. Byrd (formerly communications director for the gubernatorial campaign of Democratic candidate Deval Patrick,[59]) was reported to be leaving Americans Elect to lead the political lobbying organization, StudentsFirst, as its new CEO,[60] but Byrd's signature on an Americans Elect Federal Election Commission filing dated October 5, 2012[61] indicates his continued employment with Americans Elect to at least that date. Attorney Daniel B. Winslow, representing Americans Elect, has said of Board of Directors member Eliot Cutler, "He resigned when the mission of Americans Elect changed."[62] According to both Cutler and Americans Elect's press secretary, Ileana Wachtel, the entire Board of Directors resigned in June of 2012,[63] but this statement conflicts with Americans Elect's current one-page web site, which designates only board members Dennis Blair, Stephen W. Bosworth, Irvine Hockaday, and Christine Todd Whitman as "former" (original members Ackerman, Byrd, and Joshua S. Levine are not designated as "former," and therefore apparently constitute the whole of today's board).

Media [edit]

Americans Elect was initially recognized by columnist Thomas Friedman when he wrote “Americans Elect. What Amazon.com did to books, what the blogosphere did to newspapers, what the iPod did to music, what drugstore.com did to pharmacies, Americans Elect plans to do to the two-party duopoly that has dominated American political life — remove the barriers to real competition, flatten the incumbents and let the people in.”[7]

Lawrence Lessig, in an Atlantic article, discussed the possibility of Americans Elect producing a spoiler candidate, and argued that it represented the best chance of producing a situation where the issue of electoral reform will be properly addressed. [64]

Funding [edit]

The group was originally organized as a political organization and at that time tax documents show that Peter Ackerman, father of the Chief Operating Officer Elliot Ackerman, had contributed $1.55 million.[8] In 2011, it changed its designation to a 501(c)4 social welfare group.[1] Chief Executive Kahlil J. Byrd states that over 5,000[65] donors have given Americans Elect $22 million,[6] with no contribution exceeding $5.5 million.[8][66] He states that the major donations are technically low-interest loans, the bulk of which the organization says it intends to pay back as it widens its contribution base so that no single individual will have contributed more than $10,000. On its website, Americans Elect states that it is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that is funded by individual contributions. Americans Elect claims that none of its funding comes from special interests, lobbyists, corporations or other groups.[1][8][67][68]

The group changed its bylaws in 2012 to provide that the wealthy donors who loaned the organization its initial funds would be repaid from donations to the organization.[69]

An Americans Elect filing with the Federal Election Commission disclosed that between August 8th and October 4th of 2012 (i.e., following the termination of the organization's effort to conduct an online nomination primary) additional donations totaling $1.75 million were made to Americans Elect by Peter Ackerman ($500,000), New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg ($500,000), and Passport Capital founder John Burbank ($750,000), with similar sums expended during that same period to produce and air Americans Elect television ads explicitly supporting the U.S. Senate campaign of former Maine governor, Angus King.[61]

Criticism [edit]

Americans Elect was criticized for its potential to act as a "spoiler" in the 2012 general election. Liberal pundit Harold Meyerson predicted that an Americans Elect candidate "could well replicate the signally dubious achievement of Ralph Nader in the 2000 election: Throwing the election to one of the two major-party nominees who otherwise would not have won."[70]

The group has also been criticized for failure to fully disclose its funding.[66] Elliot Ackerman said that it is up to donors to determine whether they want to be identified and defended the group saying, "I think that's an unfortunate testament to the status of our political landscape that people feel uncomfortable about disclosing the fact that they're supporting an open nominating process." However, Fred Wertheimer, known for his work on campaign finance reform, said, "They must be trying to hide from the public who their donors are. This is a very strange way for a group to act that is complaining about the state of American politics".[8]

Some candidates were critical of the long, complex, and unreliable verification process for delegates.[71] Buddy Roemer's campaign manager Carlos Sierra was quoted as saying, "More than 50% of our supporters have not been able to vote for us" due to the web site's security and verification systems.[71]

Americans Elect was criticized on a variety of other grounds. Garrett Quinn of Boston.com wrote, "This $35 million operation was doomed to fail from the beginning. How can you run a serious political organization aimed at winning elections without any kind of guiding ideology or real local organization? You can't. These guys, like so many compassless folks in politics, seriously misread the American electorate and recent third party history. Third parties do not work without a guiding ideology, be it left, right, libertarian, statist, whatever. These guys stood for something a thousand times worse than the bitter hyperpartisanship they whined about: a wish-washy just do something attitude towards governance rooted in the pipe dreams of 'radical centrists.'"[72]

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Patrik Jonsson (July 29, 2011). "Americans Elect launches centrist third-party bid amid Washington dysfunction". The Christian Science Monitor (Boston, MA). Retrieved 2012-02-05. "With the dysfunction of Washington on full display as the nation inches toward defaulting on its debt, a coalition of American centrists has launched a bold gambit to nominate a third-party ticket for the 2012 presidential election. ... Americans Elect, which is applying in states as a political party but operates legally as a nonprofit 501(c) 4 social welfare organization." 
  2. ^ a b c d Yvette L. Woods (November 11, 2011). "Form 990 – Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-02-05. 
  3. ^ "Americans Elect: Statement of Financial Position (Audited) as of December 31, 2010" (PDF). 2011. Retrieved 2012-02-05. "For the period from April 6, 2010 (Date of incorporation) to December 31, 2010" 
  4. ^ a b "2011 Pre-Election Convention Rules of Americans Elect" (PDF). December 19, 2011. p. 15. Retrieved 2012-02-19. "Rule 8.0 – Balanced Ticket Obligation – The Presidential and Vice Presidential ticket nominated by Americans Elect shall, as nearly as practicable, consist of persons of differing ideological perspective or positions on the Platform of Questions to result in a balanced coalition ticket responsive to the vast majority of citizens while remaining independent of special interests and the partisan interests of either major political party. Subject to reversal by majority vote of all registered Delegates, the Candidate Certification Committee shall determine whether any proposed ticket is balanced by reference to candidates’ responses to the Platform of Questions within 14 days after the final Primary Ballot, or such further time as the Board may allow. A ticket with two persons consisting of a Democrat and a Republican shall be deemed to be balanced. A ticket with two persons of the same political party shall be deemed to be imbalanced." 
  5. ^ a b Unity08 v. Federal Election Commission (D.C. Cir. March 2, 2010) (“The judgment of the district court is Reversed.”). Text
  6. ^ a b c d e Alex Altman (December 21, 2011). "Can Well-Heeled Insiders Create a Populist Third-Party Sensation?". Time Magazine. Retrieved 2012-02-05. "Though it will be listed alongside other political parties on state ballots next fall, the group is organized as a social-welfare organization — devoted to promoting no particular candidate, ideology or issue — which allows it to preserve the anonymity of its donors. ... Skeptics are also wary of the powers the group has reserved for itself. The group’s bylaws entrust an appointed group of advisers — known as the “candidate-certification committee” — with deciding whether candidates who don’t automatically qualify for inclusion on the ballot are eligible for nomination. The committee’s decision can be vetoed by two-thirds (now changed to one half) of Americans Elect delegates, but the structure has sparked complaints that it is sinister — “über-democracy meets backroom bosses,” as Obama strategist David Axelrod put it to reporters on Dec. 13." 
  7. ^ a b c d Thomas L. Friedman (July 23, 2011). "Make Way for the Radical Center". The New York Times. p. SR5. "Every candidate will have to post in words or video his or her answers to the platform questions produced by the Americans Elect delegates." 
  8. ^ a b c d e Matea Gold (July 28, 2011). "Americans Elect seeks to upend primary system". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-02-04. "It hopes to select an alternate presidential ticket through an online, open convention. Its status as a social welfare group has enabled it to keep private its financiers even as it tries to qualify as a new party." 
  9. ^ a b Manu Martinez, ed. (January 10, 2012). "Americans Elect Organizational History Review". Gilroy News. Retrieved 2012-02-04. "Americans Elect 2012 is an organization that was formed by many of the individuals that were responsible for Unity 08, and has substantially identical goals for the 2012 presidential election cycle." 
  10. ^ a b c Ray Harlan (January 30, 2012). "Americans Elect are ready to crash the party". Retrieved 2012-02-05. "The predecessor to AE, Unity08, in 2008 took the Federal Election Commission to court to challenge the rules set up to preserve the Republican/Democrat duopoly. In a landmark decision, (Unity08 vs. FEC), the D.C. Court of Appeals ruled in March 2010 that the FEC must allow new parties to raise cash to gain ballot access and start a campaign." 
  11. ^ a b Byrd, Kahlil (2012-05-15). "Statement by Americans Elect CEO Kahlil Byrd". Americans Elect. Retrieved 16 May 2012. 
  12. ^ "Third party group, Americans Elect, abandons effort to run third-party candidate for president". The Washington Post. Associated Press. 2012-05-15. Retrieved 16 May 2012. 
  13. ^ Liptak, Kevin (May 17, 2012). "Third party effort packs it in for 2012". CNN. Retrieved May 17, 2012. 
  14. ^ Richardson, John (October 5, 2012). "Outside group launches pro-King ads". Morning Sentinel. Retrieved October 5, 2012. 
  15. ^ Cook, Jim (October 5, 2012). "You choose? Americans Elect changes its tune, buying Angus King for Senate ads without a vote". Irregular Tiimes. Retrieved October 5, 2012. 
  16. ^ Herman, Anthony (October 5, 2012). "Complaint Against Angus King, Angus King For Senate, Eliot Cutler, and Americans Elect". Scribd. Retrieved October 6, 2012. 
  17. ^ a b c d Ruth Marcus (December 27, 2011). "Americans Elect: A wild card for the Internet age". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2012-02-05. "Americans Elect delegates — any registered voter who signs up online — will choose a presidential ticket through successive rounds of Internet voting, culminating in the choice of a candidate in June. The vice presidential nominee on this unity ticket must come from a different political party." 
  18. ^ Lois Kazakoff (February 2, 2012). "Draft your nominee for president". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2012-02-05. "In its first few hours of business to select a nominee through an online primary, Americans Elect’s 360,000 delegates have drafted 52 candidates for president. You’ll recognize a few of the names: Michael Bloomberg, Jon Huntsman, Buddy Roemer, Warren Buffett, Rahm Emanuel and Condoleezza Rice." 
  19. ^ "Americans Elect could put Buddy Roemer on presidential ballot". 2011-11-25. 
  20. ^ a b c "2012 Pre-election Convention Rules of Americans Elect" (PDF). 2011-12-19. pp. 6–11. Retrieved 28 February 2012. 
  21. ^ "2012 Pre-election Convention Rules of Americans Elect" (PDF). 2012-02-01. pp. 6–11. Retrieved 28 February 2012. 
  22. ^ "Proposed AE Rules Amendments Give Candidates More Time to Qualify for Ballot". 2012-02-02. Retrieved 28 February 2012. 
  23. ^ a b "Group stirring for independent White House bid hits obstacle, cancels 1st phase of ticket hunt". The Washington Post. Associated Press. 2012-05-01. Retrieved 3 May 2012. 
  24. ^ Americans Elect. "Statement by Americans Elect CEO Kahlil Byrd". Retrieved 15 May 2012. 
  25. ^ "Amended and Restated Bylaws of Americans Elect (most recently amended December 19, 2011)" (PDF). December 19, 2011. pp. 13–4. Retrieved 2012-02-04. "Votes to draft or nominate candidates shall be governed by the convention Rules as adopted by the Rules Committee and ratified by the delegates in accordance with these Bylaws." 
  26. ^ John Avlon (September 29, 2011). "2012’s New Contenders". Retrieved 2012-02-05. "Any potential candidate with a professional background commensurate with the past 44 presidents—governors, senators, congressmen, Cabinet secretaries, flag-rank military officers, CEOs, or college presidents—would automatically qualify if they received 10,000 online clicks of support." 
  27. ^ "FAQ: Americans Elect's Board, Committees, Funding, Security, Process and More". December 22, 2011. Retrieved 2012-02-05. "Without this process, the result could easily mimic the 2003 California Gubernatorial Recall Election, which attracted candidates including former child star Gary Coleman and porn star Mary Carey." 
  28. ^ Jim Cook. "Americans Elect Candidate Ejection Committee Chaired by FBI, CIA, Military Research Chiefs". "Subject to reversal by vote of 2/3 [subsequently amended to be more than 50%] of all Delegates, the Candidate Certification Committee shall determine whether any proposed ticket is balanced by reference to candidates’ responses to the Platform of Questions within fourteen days after the final Qualifying Ballot, or such further time as the Board may allow." 
  29. ^ "Press Release: AE Delegates' Voices Heard, Changes to Rules are Implemented". December 22, 2011. "Specifically, the changes to the rules include: ... – A simple majority vote by all delegates, rather than a 2/3 vote, is required to reverse non-unanimous board or committee decisions" 
  30. ^ "2012 Pre-election Convention Rules of Americans Elect" (PDF). December 19, 2011. p. 7. Retrieved 2012-02-04. "Should the Candidate Certification Committee find that a Declared Candidate is unqualified through a decision that is not unanimous, the decision will be subject to reversal by a majority vote of all registered Delegates." 
  31. ^ Rebecca Boyle (July 25, 2011). "The Future of Elections: Startup "Americans Elect" Plans an Internet-Based Third-Party Convention in 2012". Popular Science. Retrieved 2012-02-04. "...the rules say any nominee must be “considered someone of similar stature to our previous presidents.”" 
  32. ^ "2012 Pre-election Convention Rules of Americans Elect" (PDF). December 19, 2011. p. 15. Retrieved 2012-02-04. "The Presidential and Vice Presidential ticket nominated by Americans Elect shall, as nearly as practicable, consist of persons of differing ideological perspective or positions on the Platform of Questions to result in a balanced coalition ticket responsive to the vast majority of citizens while remaining independent of special interests and the partisan interests of either major political party. ... A ticket with two persons consisting of a Democrat and a Republican shall be deemed to be balanced. A ticket with two persons of the same political party shall be deemed to be imbalanced." 
  33. ^ Nick Troiano (February 2, 2012). "As GOP Primaries Come to an End, Americans Elect Begins". PolicyMic. Retrieved 2012-02-05. "Americans Elect is securing a line on the ballot in all 50 states for a ticket to be named directly by the people through the first-ever online nominating convention." 
  34. ^ a b c d "Arizona has a new political party". AZCentral.com. Retrieved 2011-07-24. 
  35. ^ "Arkansas Secretary of State Says Americans Elect Petition is Valid". November 10, 2011. Retrieved 2012-02-03. "On November 10, the Arkansas Secretary of State said that the Americans Elect ballot access petition has enough valid signatures." 
  36. ^ "California Secretary of State Americans Elect Gains Official Party Status". Retrieved 2011-12-19. 
  37. ^ Amy Bingham (December 19, 2011). "Americans Elect Candidate Will Be on California Ballot". ABC News. Retrieved 2012-02-05. "Americans Elect has submitted petitions for ballot access in three more states and is collecting signatures in 15 others. It aims to secure a spot on the ballot in every state before its online nominating convention in June, where any registered voter can cast a ballot for their preferred Americans Elect candidate." 
  38. ^ "Americans Elect Petitions Way Into Colorado Ballot as Minor Party". www.denverpost.com. Retrieved 2011-11-30. 
  39. ^ a b "Americans Elect to Begin Signature Drive Toward Ballot Access in South Carolina for Presidential Election 2012". fitsnews.com. Retrieved 2012-02-03. 
  40. ^ Associated Press (2012-03-29). "Americans Elect gains spot on Hawaii's general election ballot". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved 7 June 2012. 
  41. ^ Steve Mistler (January 26, 2012). "Cutler: Americans Elect gains Maine ballot access". Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine). Retrieved February 3, 2012. "Maine is now the 15th state in which AE has achieved ballot access." 
  42. ^ Jim Dobkowski, ed. (December 7, 2011). "Americans Elect 2012 Gains Presidential Ballot Access in Mississippi in 2012". Long Island Politics. Retrieved 2012-02-03. 
  43. ^ Winger, Richard (2012-03-13). "Montana Secretary of State Approves Americans Elect Petition". Ballot Access News. Retrieved 7 June 2012. 
  44. ^ "Americans Elect gains ballot access in Nebraska". Lincoln Journal Star. 2012-03-26. Retrieved 7 June 2012. 
  45. ^ Terrell, Steve (2012-02-03). "Americans Elect cleared for ballot". The Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved 7 June 2012. 
  46. ^ News & Observer: Americans Elect secures place on NC Ballot[dead link]
  47. ^ Kim Geiger (November 2, 2011). "Ohio approves virtual third party effort for 2012 ballot". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-02-03. 
  48. ^ The Associated Press (2012-03-29). "'Americans Elect' recognized for Oklahoma ballot". RealClearPolitics. Retrieved 7 June 2012. 
  49. ^ Richard Winger, ed. (December 20, 2011). "Rhode Island Says Americans Elect Petition is Valid". Retrieved 2011-12-20. "On December 20, Rhode Island elections officials announced that the Americans Elect petition for party status has enough valid signatures." 
  50. ^ Lee Davidson (November 23, 2011). "Online candidate to be on ballot in Utah". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 2012-02-03. 
  51. ^ Richard Winger (January 1, 2012). "2012 Petitioning For President". Ballot Access News. p. 5. Retrieved 2012-02-03. 
  52. ^ Lowe, Diane, Lead Elections Specialist. "Partisan Primary Sample Ballot and Reminders for a Successful Primary" Wisconsin Government Accountability Board; June 7, 2012
  53. ^ "Americans Elect gains spot on Wyoming ballot". Billings Gazette. Associated Press. 2012-02-27. Retrieved 7 June 2012. 
  54. ^ http://www.ballot-access.org/2012/07/12/can-a-ballot-qualified-political-party-commit-legal-suicide/
  55. ^ Anonymous. "Unanimous written consent in lieu of a meeting of the board of directors of Americans Elect". Americans Elect. Retrieved 8 October 2012. 
  56. ^ http://azamericanselect.blogspot.com/
  57. ^ http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/AZ/42050/113875/Web01/en/summary.html
  58. ^ Anonymous. "Americans Elect - The First National Online Primary". Americans Elect. Retrieved 7 October 2012. 
  59. ^ "Who We Are". Americans Elect 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2012. 
  60. ^ Burns, Alexander (2012-09-24). "Former Americans Elect chief may head Rhee's StudentsFirst". Politico. Retrieved 7 October 2012. 
  61. ^ a b Byrd, Kahlil (2012-10-05). "Report of independent expenditures made and contributions received". Federal Election Commission. Retrieved 7 October 2012. 
  62. ^ Wirzbicki, Alan (2012-10-05). "Michael Bloomberg backs ad push for independent Angus King in Maine". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 7 October 2012. 
  63. ^ Richardson, John (2012-10-05). "National group spends $1.7 million on pro-Angus King ads". Maine Sunday Telegram. Retrieved 7 October 2012. 
  64. ^ "The Last Best Chance for Campaign Finance Reform: Americans Elect". Retrieved 2012-04-27. 
  65. ^ "Why You Gave: Because "I'm disgusted with American politics!"". January 18, 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-05. 
  66. ^ a b Aaron Sankin (December 22, 2011). In Arianna Huffington. "Americans Elect Qualifies For California Ballot". Retrieved 2012-02-05. "While Ackerman has given Americans Elect some $5.5 million, other donors to the organization have been kept secret. "This is not popular in the Democratic of Republican parties," Elliot Ackerman, Peter's son and the group's chief operating officer told the Sacramento Bee. Ackerman argued that Americans Elect's backers shouldn't be made public or else they would likely face recriminations from the political elites of both parties." 
  67. ^ Jim Cook (July 24, 2011). "No Special Interest Funding for Americans Elect? New York Times reports "Serious Hedge-Fund Money"". Irregular Times. Retrieved 2012-02-04. "That’s a curious turn of phrase, considering the point-blank declaration this month by Americans Elect that “None of our funding comes from special interests or lobbyists.”" 
  68. ^ "Americans Elect: Donor Search". The Center for Responsive Politics. Retrieved 2012-02-04. 
  69. ^ "Americans Elect to Pay Off Big Donors to Feckless Centrist Third Party". Retrieved March 12, 2012. 
  70. ^ Harold Meyerson (March 20, 2012). "Don't let Americans Elect muddy the 2012 race". LA Times. Retrieved 2012-03-28. 
  71. ^ a b Tilove, Jonathan (2012-05-09). "Buddy Roemer still short on 'clicks'; Americans Elect will have to delay vote again". NOLA.com. Retrieved 15 May 2012. 
  72. ^ Quinn, Garrett (2012-05-17). "Americans Elect failed, and that's a good thing". Less Is More. Boston.com. Retrieved 20 May 2012. 

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