Hrp Election Plan

HRP Election Plan

The Human Rights Party is circulating a petition to insure that Ann Arbor's next mayor represents a majority of the people. HRP needs 3,000 signatures so voters can decide in November whether to institute a new system of balloting for next spring's city elections.

Since HRP won two seats on city council this spring, thus creating a real three party system here we are now faced with the possibility that the Republicans could elect the next mayor with only 40 percent of the votes. That would happen if HRP and the Democrats evenly split the other 60 percent.

So HRP is proposing that people be given the chance to vote for both their first and second choices for mayor -- preferential balloting.

Under this system HRPers could list the Democratic candidate as their second choice and the Democrats could list the HRP nominee as their second choice. This will insure that either HRP or the Democrats will win the mayor's seat, rather than the Republicans.

HRP also believes that preferential balloting will prevent the Democrats from using the ruse that HRP is "splitting the progressive vote." And HRP hopes that people who have voted Democratic in the past for fear of electing a Republican will now vote for HRP first and for the Democrats second.

If preferential balloting is adopted in November, and if people decide to vote for the party they believe is right rather than the party they think can win, then HRP could very easily be in the mayor's chair next spring.

But first we need to collect those 3 000 signatures by August I, less than one month way.

Be sure to register to vote, and to sign the petition. Better yet, call Steve Nissen at the HRP office (761-6650), 304 S. Thayer St., and circulate one of the petitions.