06/06/2016
With the primary season coming to the close. I have kept my mouth shut as a candidate regarding the oddities we have seen this election cycle. I now break that silence. When you have a consistent cycle of limiting the amount of polling places in areas that are densely populated in the effort to limit voter participation. This is an affront to the intent and spirit in which this nation was founded upon. True originally only white male landowners over the age of 21 were allowed to vote but we have grown beyond that limitation. Now we have decreed, all citizens over the age of 18 may vote in an election. In many locations there were more polling places available in the sparsely populated regions of Arizona and Puerto Rico than there were in the major cities, why? We have party officials throwing out legitimate delegates who are not backing the establishment candidate, why? Is it because the establishment candidate is best for the job? That remains to be seen.
We have corporate media declaring a victor while people are still in lines to vote. We have election coverage that has since the start been propping up candidates while being nearly silent on others. When did the media become the megaphone for a candidacy? News Networks should do just that report the news unbiased and impartial. Ever since the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine, the news has been about nothing but sensationalism and maintaining the status quo. What ever happened to providing a good solid news program? I am sorry to say I don't even remember those days, I have just seen it become progressively worse. Traditional media has failed in this election cycle. New media unfortunately has not been much better. Facebook, Google etc. have skewed the trends and search results in the direction the corporate owners preferences. We have many websites claiming to be legitimate journalistic sources that are little more than partisan hack jobs.
The question is how do we fix these two major issues when it comes to elections. I will start with the media. Re-instate the Fairness Doctrine, is pivotal to returning the media to it's proper course. Secondly we need to break up the media conglomerates that own most of the major papers, networks and radio stations. Currently 6 companies own 90% of the media in America. That cannot continue. The media is too important and too powerful to be left in the hands of such a small group of people. "And we've become very doubtful of our information sources, because they're all controlled by these huge multilateral corporations." - Brian De Palma
As far as it goes to the polling places there needs to a regulation that requires a minimum of one polling place per 25,000 individuals Spaced as needed for population density in a district, ie. Spaced as close to equidistantly from each other for ease of access to voters. Early voting and Absentee voting needs to expanded not limited as well. Not to mention do away entirely with voter registration. Registration to vote is archaic. Voter fraud has not been an issue regardless of what a certain party says. I will agree with them on the fact that a government issued photo ID should be required. But I think we should offer a free voting ID via the US Post Office. The main reason for the Voting ID via the USPS, elderly and low income people may not be able to take the time off to go to the local DMV to get the "free" ID offered by many states. This is where our Post Office can fill the gap. Elderly and low income voters probably can make it into their local Post Office much easier than the DMV, or if they are home ridden the mail carrier could take their picture at their home. The ID would be able to be delivered to the person as well. Voter registration has caused more than enough eligible voters to be denied their legal right to vote this election cycle. Get rid of it! Now on to my final point in this Electronic voting machines. While technological advances are great, voting should ALWAYS be done via a paper ballot. If we do use electronic voting machines, then we need a way to verify their accuracy via traceable means. Unfortunately many of the machines in use this season have been known to change votes between one candidate or the other.
In conclusion, I am disheartened by this trend this year. I had intended to run as part of a party this year but have chosen to abstain from that declaration due to the fact that the Primary has made it abundantly clear that the establishment will not have its anointed candidate lose regardless of the people's will. I have chosen to run as an independent and will be running as a write in candidate for the US House of Representatives for the state of North Dakota. I appreciate all the support I have received from local party members and hope they will continue to support me. In good conscience I cannot run for the party.
-CAM
