Stop Top Two Primary in California

The Green Party of California believes democracy is enhanced by giving voters a real opportunity to vote for and elect representatives who reflect their views. Proposition 14, the Top Two Primary (which narrowly passed in June 2010), takes us further from that goal by eliminating party primaries and only allowing two candidates on the General Election ballot, while also eliminating write-in voting.

Below is information about the legal case against the Top Two , opinion pieces against it written by Green Party members and others, and video, audio and other archival documents from the GPCA's campaign against it.

Commentaries, opinion pieces, interviews and debates by Greens against the Top Two

• California electoral reform fails its first test. By Steven Hill. Sacramento Bee. November 16, 2012
• Head to Head: Should California keep 'top-two' primary? By Ben Boychuk and Pia Lopez. Sacramento Bee. October 24, 2012.
• How Prop 14 weakened democracy. Elections are supposed to be about choice. But with minor party candidates marginalized and only two spots in a general election, voters have far less to choose from. By Keith Smith, opinion piece in the Los Angeles Times. October 24, 2012.
• Viewpoints: Top-two primary hurt competition in the Golden State. By Steven Hill. Special to The Sacramento Bee. August 4, 2012
• Louisiana Experience Shows Top-Two Systems Make it Easier for Incumbents to be Re-Elected Than in a Normal Partisan Nomination System. Richard Winger, Ballot Access News. May 20, 2012.
• Blowback: The Prop. 14 bait-and-switch. By Michael Feinstein. Special to the Los Angeles Times. June 5, 2010:
• KPPC Radio Debate: Proposition 14 - creates a top-two primary election. Featuring California Green Michael Feinstein. May 29, 2010:
• Opinion: Prop 14 is Bad for Smaller Parties, Bad for Democracy Overall. By Michael Feinstein. Special to Fox and Hounds Daily. May 27, 2010:
• Video: Green Party Opposes Prop 14. Television ad by the Green Party of California. May 20, 2010
• Opinion: Prop. 14 would weaken democracy, voter choice. By Michael Feinstein. Special to the San Jose Mercury News. May 12, 2010.
• Proposition 14: No, No, No. Elections: Restricts November choices & alters primary election. Green Voter Guide, Green Party of Alameda County. May 8, 2010.
• Editorial: Proposition Will Make Our Broken Two-Party Political System Even Worse. By Ann Menasche, Green Party Candidate for Secretary of State. East County Magazine. April 15, 2010.
• Prop 14 takes away voters’choices at ballot, gives more power to big corporations. By Ann Menasche, Green Party Candidate for Secretary of State. Green Focus, newspaper of the Green Party of California. April 15, 2010.
• Opinion: Thirteen Reasons To Vote No on Prop 14/Top Two Why Prop 14 would be bad for democracy and government in California. By Mike Feinstein. Green Focus, newspaper of the Green Party of California. April 15, 2010.
• Video: Top Two Primary/Proposition 14 Debate: Feinstein vs. Gesicki. Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee Debate. April 4, 2010.

Legal case against the Top Two

• Charles Munger Jr.'s fee claim may chill public interest suits. The multimillionaire seeks $243,000 for legal fees he incurred when an activist sued to overturn one of Munger's previous initiatives. By Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times. October 31, 2012
• Video: Legal case against Top Two Primaries, Proposition 14 and SB 6 - Richard Winger and Gautam Dutta (28:56)
A summary of the legal arguments against the Top Two primary (Proposition 14 in California, Initiative 872 in Washington State), as well as Proposition 14's implementing statute in California, Senate Bill 6. Presentation includes a status update of the legal cases against both. Featuring Richard Winger of Ballot Access News and Gautum Dutta, attorney against SB6. Filmed at the General Assemby of the Green Party of California. May 1st, 2011. Berkeley, California.
• Senate Bill 6 / Proposition 14 Lawsuit: Media Releases | Court Documents | News Coverage | Videos

No on Prop 14 Materials and References (archival from 2010)

Flyer

Two-sided, quarter-sheet flyer. [PUB 32 kB]

Button Art

For 2.25" button stock. [PUB 26 kB]