<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">I am delighted to hear of this valuable activity. A couple notes:<div> . "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: -webkit-monospace; font-size: 22px; line-height: 28px; white-space: pre; ">local, state, federal and global levels" are <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 24px; line-height: normal; white-space: normal; ">Open_voting_network topics. All except global are important in the US in 2012 as a year in which serious activity is possible - within the framework of current laws, but without depending on instantly changing the laws..</span></span></div><div> . "primary" is a word used here. It is different from the "primary elections" used in the US - they are used by parties to cope with the needs of plurality voting.</div><div> . Among the possibilities would be such as destructive competition between Occupy-backing candidates in the Green and Libertarian parties - if they split the votes of Occupy backers and thus each lost.</div><div><br><div><div>On Dec 11, 2011, at 1:42 AM, Michael Allan wrote:</div><blockquote type="cite"><div>Dave Ketchum wrote:<br><blockquote type="cite">Write-ins can be effective. I hold up proof this year. For <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite">a supervisor race:<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"> 111 Rep - Joe - on the ballot from winning primary, though not <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"> campaigning.<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"> 346 Con - Darlene - running as Con though unable to run as Rep+Con.<br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"> 540 Write-in - Bob - who gets the votes with his campaign starting <br></blockquote><blockquote type="cite"> 18 days before election day.<br></blockquote><br>We're floating the idea within Occupy of a primary voting network that<br>might help by giving independents a leg up. It would extend not only<br>across and beyond parties, but also across any number of voting<br>methods and service providers: (see also the discussion tab here)<br><a href="https://wiki.occupy.net/wiki/User:Michael_Allan/RFC/Open_voting_network">https://wiki.occupy.net/wiki/User:Michael_Allan/RFC/Open_voting_network</a><br><br>It's not easy to summarize, but maybe easier from the voter's POV:<br><br> We won't endorse any single provider (monopoly) of primary voting<br> and consensus making services. Instead we'll maintain an open<br> voting network (counter-monopoly) in which: (1) no person is<br> excluded from participating in the development of alternative<br> technologies and methodologies of consensus making; (2) no toolset,<br> platform or practice is excluded; and (3) each person may freely<br> choose a provider, toolset and practices based on personal needs<br> and preferences without thereby becoming isolated from participants<br> who make different choices.<br><br>None of this is especially difficult (not technically), but it's hard<br>to imagine how it could ever get started without Occupy.<br><br>-- <br>Michael Allan<br><br>Toronto, +1 416-699-9528<br>http://zelea.com/<br><br>Dave Ketchum wrote: ...</div></blockquote></div></div></body></html>