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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 99.112.212.201 (talk) at 07:29, 13 February 2012 (*[http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=4475 The 1 Percent President; Americans Elect’s hypothetical ‘centrist’ candidate wins plaudits from pundits], Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting February 2012> Occupy movement+Occupy Wall Street). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Americans Elect
FoundedApril 6, 2010 (2010-04-06)[1]
FounderPeter Ackerman
TypeSocial Welfare Organization
27-2285014[2]
Location
  • 1901 Penn Avenue, NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20006[2]
Coordinates38°54′02″N 77°02′38″W / 38.900691°N 77.043813°W / 38.900691; -77.043813
OriginsUnity08
Area served
United States
Members
450,000+
Key people
Kahlil J. Byrd and Peter Ackerman
Revenue
$5,113,010 in 2010[2]
Endowment$1,717,857 as of December 31, 2010[2]
Employees
6
Websiteamericanselect.org

Americans Elect is a non-partisan non-profit organization in the United States hosting 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), they cannot accept funds from candidates or candidate committees, nor donate funds to them, nor can the organization advocate for or against any issue.[3][4] The organization's sole purpose is to obtain signatures to get on the ballot throughout the United States and to build the technology to process an online nomination.

Americans Elect plans to use an internet-based nominating process to field a ticket for the 2012 U.S. presidential election, as described by Thomas Friedman of The New York Times.[5] 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.[6] They are an outgrowth of an earlier movement, Unity08.[7][8] The appeals court ruled that their predecessor organization, Unity08, is not a traditional political party.[3][8]

History

Americans Elect was incorporated on April 6, 2010 by Peter Ackerman 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.

How it works

According to its bylaws, the only source of information on the organization's processes, Americans Elect will host a national online primary in two phases, ending with a convention in June 2012. The resulting ticket, chosen by Americans Elect users, will be listed on the ballot nationwide under the Americans Elect line. The organization has an open membership, allowing any U.S. voter to draft and support his or her candidate of choice.[9] The drafting began on February 1, 2012 and in the first few hours the 360,000 delegates had initially drafted 52 possible candidates including: Ron Paul, Michael Bloomberg, Warren Buffett, Rahm Emanuel, Jon Huntsman, Condoleezza Rice, and Buddy Roemer.[10]

Any US citizen who is constitutionally eligible can be drafted as a candidate. Americans Elect participants, referred to as delegates, may also propose and vote on the Platform of Questions, a list of questions that all candidates must answer before the June phase of the primary.[5]

National presidential primary

The first phase of voting will identify the six most popular certified candidates[4] through three rounds of online balloting. The six finalists will advance to the second phase of the primary after they’ve accepted the Americans Elect nomination and selected a Vice-Presidential running mate. (Declared candidates must select a running mate affiliated with any party other than his or her own.)[9][4]

In the second phase, the six finalists will 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 receives more than 50% of the popular vote, victory will be declared for that candidate and subsequent rounds of voting will not be held.[11][12]

Certification by Committee

To be eligible for the Americans Elect nomination, all proposed candidate with adequate support must be certified by the group's Candidate Certification Committee as capable of performing the duties of office. According to the bylaws, this is done using criteria of demonstrated achievements (developed by the committee) that are based on qualifications of past presidents and vice presidents.[13] 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.”[14][15][16][4]

Still, a decision of the Candidate Certification Committee can be nullified by a majority vote of all registered delegates.[17][18][19][20][4]

Americans Elect's rules say any nominee must be “considered someone of similar stature to our previous presidents.”[21][5]

Candidate party affiliation

Americans Elect is open to candidates from any party, as well as independents. When a candidate chooses a vice president running mate, they must choose someone from a party different from their own to ensure a balanced ticket.[9][22]

Nominating one certified candidate

The organization intends to narrow down its field of candidates in April 2012, after which the remaining six candidates must choose their running mates. Then, in June 2012, Americans Elect will choose its final candidate through an internet based convention, a process open to all voters, regardless of party affiliation. The intent is to provide a more open nominating process, resulting in better choices during the election.[9]

Ballot status

As of January 2012, Americans Elect has gained ballot status in 15 states: Alaska,[23] Arizona,[23] Arkansas,[24] California,[25][26] Colorado,[27] Florida,[28] Kansas,[23] Maine,[29] Michigan,[28] Mississippi,[30] Nevada,[23] Ohio,[31] Rhode Island,[32] Utah,[33] and Vermont.[34] As of February 2012, certification is pending in Hawaii,[35] New Mexico,[30] and Wyoming.[36] As of December 2011, signatures for fifteen other states were being collected.[26]

Americans Elect is in the process of 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. Any registered voter can sign up to participate as a Delegate at [AmericansElect.org].[37] The organization is attempting the process of being accredited in every US state, allowing it to place candidates on presidential ballots nationwide.[5]

In order to obtain ballot access nationwide, some states' guidelines require Americans Elect to register as a political party,[8] even though federal courts have ruled[3] they are not a traditional political party.

Organization

Americans Elect was formed by many of the individuals who were responsible for a previous attempt to nominate an internet candidate, Unity08, and has substantially identical goals for the 2012 presidential election cycle.[7]

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is Kahlil J. Byrd (the only salaried employee), and the chairman is Peter Ackerman, both of which work full time at Americans Elect.[2] The team is diverse as Byrd is an African American Republican[38] while Ackerman is a Caucasian Democrat who supported Obama in the 2008 election.[39] Thomas W. Richardson is a director who averaged working five hours per week in 2010.[2] The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) is Joshua S. Levine. The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is Elliot Ackerman, son of Peter Ackerman and a decorated veteran of both the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.[40] Tom Sansonetti and Chris Arterton are co-chairs of the rules committee.[41][42] Wendy Drake is the (Chief Leadership Officer). Sarah Malm (Chief Communications Officer) and Daniel Winslow (Chief Legal Counsel) are listed as senior staff. Doug Schoen, a former Clinton adviser and Democratic pollster, works as a paid adviser to Americans Elect.[43][7][17][40]

The organization has advisers from across the political spectrum,[44] as well as a grassroots volunteer team that organizes promotional events across the country in almost 200 locations.[45]

Funding

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.[6] In 2011, it changed its designation to a 501(c)4 social welfare group. Chief Executive Kahlil J. Byrd states that over 5,000[46] donors have given Americans Elect $22 million,[4] with no contribution exceeding $5.5 million.[47][6] 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.[17][48][49][6]

The group has been criticized for failure to fully disclose its funding.[47] 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".[6]

Association with Arno Political Consultants

Kellen Arno is the National Field Director for Americans Elect[50] and his father, Michael Arno, is Ballot Access Advisor for Americans Elect.[44] Michael Arno is the president of the controversial Arno Political Consultants with his son, Kellen, assisting as vice president.[51][52]

References

  1. ^ "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
  2. ^ a b c d e f Yvette L. Woods (November 11, 2011). "Form 990 - Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax" (pdf). Retrieved 2012-02-05.
  3. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference FEC_ruling was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c d e f 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.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ a b c 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.
  8. ^ a b c [cite web | url = http://coloradostatesman.com/content/993276-americans-elect-are-ready-crash-party | accessdate = 2012-02-05 | date = January 30, 2012 | title = Americans Elect are ready to crash the party | author = Ray Harlan | quote = 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. ]
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ "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.
  12. ^ "2012 Pre-election Convention Rules of Americans Elect" (pdf). December 19, 2011. pp. 15–6. Retrieved 2012-02-04. During this period, a series of up to three ballots will be cast by the Americans Elect Delegates until one ticket receives a majority of all votes cast. ... If at any point during the Nominating Round a ticket receives more than 50 percent of the votes cast, that ticket shall be the Americans Elect nominees.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ "California 2003 Gubernatorial Recall Election". Center for Media and Democracy. August 10, 2008. Retrieved 2012-02-05.
  15. ^ "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.
  16. ^ Joe Garofoli (May 28, 2010). "Political remembrances of Gary Coleman: Finished 8th in CA Gubernatorial Recall". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2012-02-05. Coleman was always gracious to talk to during the recall — but, as the above shows, there frequently was kind of a sad pall to our chats. By the end, he became sick of the sideshow recall candidates he was often mentioned with — porn star Mary Carey and Flynt.
  17. ^ a b c 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.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ "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
  20. ^ "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.
  21. ^ 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."
  22. ^ "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.
  23. ^ a b c d "Arizona has a new political party". AZCentral.com. Retrieved 2011-07-24.
  24. ^ "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.
  25. ^ "California Secretary of State Americans Elect Gains Official Party Status". Retrieved 2011-12-19.
  26. ^ a b 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 currently 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.
  27. ^ "Americans Elect Petitions Way Into Colorado Ballot as Minor Party". www.denverpost.com. Retrieved 2011-11-30.
  28. ^ a b "Americans Elect to Begin Signature Drive Toward Ballot Access in South Carolina for Presidential Election 2012". fitsnews.com. Retrieved 2012-02-03.
  29. ^ 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.
  30. ^ a b Jim Dobkowski, ed. (December 7, 2011). "Americans Elect 2012 Gains Presidential Ballot Access in Mississippi in 2012". Long Island Politics. Retrieved 2012-02-03.
  31. ^ Kim Geiger (November 2, 2011). "Ohio approves virtual third party effort for 2012 ballot". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-02-03.
  32. ^ 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.
  33. ^ Lee Davidson (November 23, 2011). "Online candidate to be on ballot in Utah". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 2012-02-03.
  34. ^ Richard Winger (January 1, 2012). "2012 Petitioning For President". Ballot Access News. p. 5. Retrieved 2012-02-03. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |newspaper= (help)
  35. ^ "Americans Elect Petitions for Hawaii Ballot". Honolulu Civil Beat. November 28, 2011. Retrieved 2012-02-03. ...we are just waiting for the certifications to be complete...
  36. ^ Richard Winger, ed. (February 3, 2012). "Americans Elect Submits Wyoming Petition". Ballot Access News. On February 2, Americans Elect submitted its Wyoming petition. It needed 3,740 signatures and submitted more than 8,000... {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  37. ^ 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. Any registered voter can sign up to participate as a Delegate at AmericansElect.org.
  38. ^ John Heilemann (January 22, 2012). "The Third-Party Rail: As the donkey battles the elephant, some say: There's got to be a better way". New York. Retrieved 2012-02-05. ...a fellow by the name of Kahlil Byrd, who, despite calling himself a Republican, is in every other way the walking, talking antithesis of the race-baiting, base-inflaming spectacle that unfolded on the stage that night. First, Byrd is ... black. Second, he is too composed and sane to leap to his feet and applaud Newt Gingrich's mau-mauing of Juan Williams. Third, it's not just Newt among the ­Republicans for whom Byrd has no love; he has made it his mission to defeat whomever the GOP picks as its standard-bearer. But Byrd is no closet Democrat, rooting for Barack Obama. Instead, he's on a crusade to undermine both parties and, in the process, change ­American politics forever. {{cite news}}: soft hyphen character in |quote= at position 398 (help)
  39. ^ Jared E. Peterson (January 3, 2012). "Americans Elect: Obama's Third-Party Tar Pit". American Thinker. Retrieved 2012-02-05. Given the organization's original moneybags founder and current "chairman," Peter Ackerman (mega-rich Wall Street 2008 Obama supporter), its stated goals, and the nature of American politics, it bids fair to decide who will prevail for the presidency in 2012.
  40. ^ a b Judy Woodruff (August 22, 2011). "'Americans Elect' Group Challenges U.S. Presidential Primary Process". PBS Newshour. Retrieved 2012-02-05. ...Elliot Ackerman... He's chief operating officer for Americans Elect and a decorated veteran of both the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. And former Clinton adviser and Democratic pollster Douglas Schoen, he sits on the group's board of advisers.
  41. ^ "The Arena: - Chris Arterton Bio". Politico.com. March 31, 2011. Retrieved 2011-10-28.
  42. ^ Tom Sansonetti; Chris Arterton (September 15, 2011). "Letter to the Editor: A third-party solution". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2011-10-28.
  43. ^ Glenn Thrush (December 20, 2011). "Doug Schoen: ?Democrat??". Politico.com. Retrieved 2012-02-04.
  44. ^ a b "Americans Elect 2012 Who We Are". americanselect.org. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
  45. ^ "Americans Elect Meetups around the world". Retrieved 2012-02-05.
  46. ^ "Why You Gave: Because "I'm disgusted with American politics!"". January 18, 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-05.
  47. ^ a b Aaron Sankin (December 22, 2011). Arianna Huffington (ed.). "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.
  48. ^ 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."
  49. ^ "Americans Elect: Donor Search". The Center for Responsive Politics. Retrieved 2012-02-04.
  50. ^ Lois Kazakoff (December 21, 2011). "California recognizes Americans Elect". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2012-02-05. Kellen Arno, Americans Elect's national field director, has won a spot on the ballot in 13 states and is confident he will have all 50 states by June. But he says the barriers to getting there are significant: 50 different sets of rules (California required gathering a million signatures, while Florida merely required paperwork). "Our process is a way to break down those barriers," he said.
  51. ^ "Arno Political Consultants". Arno Political Consultants. Retrieved 2011-09-24.
  52. ^ Aaron Klein (January 5, 2012). "Is this how Obama win will be guaranteed?". ...two of AE's board members, Kellen Arno and Michael Arno, were paid by the group for helping to run the massive signature gathering drive via their firm, Arno Political Consultants. Arno's firm, APC, has reportedly previously been accused of forging signatures and collecting signatures using fraud.
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