Floridians dissatisfied with the major political parties will have fewer options next year.
When 2012 rolls around, there may no longer be a Real Food Party of the United States of America, Surfers Party of America or a British Reformed Sectarian Party for voters to join when they register.
Political parties in Florida with fewer than 5 percent of the states more than 11 million registered voters have been given deadlines that range through the first week in January to re-register after complying with a number of guidelines set by legislators last spring.
The Independence Party of Florida, Ecology Party of Florida, Florida Whig Party and the Tea Party of Florida -- technically, the Tea Party disbanded and re-formed under the new rules -- have each completed the process, said Chris Cate, spokesman for the Florida Department of State.
At least six others have communicated an intent to re-register under the new law, Cate added.
The Florida Pirate Party Chairman Ryan Moffitt said they are complying with the checklist, but disagree with the requirements.
The current state of affairs in our government mandates we stay active to further the platform of government transparency, civil liberties and intellectual property reform, Moffitt said in a release.
That being said, it is the position of the Florida Pirate Party that stringent regulations that specifically aim to quash popular opinion and subvert the creation and maintenance of minor political parties are direct, inappropriate and despicable attacks on the fundamental fabric of democracy, and will only serve to further discredit the corporate-backed two party oligarchy all too common in the current American political landscape.
He added that the Pirate Party wants the Legislature to repeal all measures restricting the formation of political parties in Florida.
John Daly, head of the Party for Socialism and Liberation/Florida, said he intends to complete the states paperwork, ... however, I have not received the checklist.
Most other minor party leadership either couldn't be reached or didn't respond to email requests for comment.
The process includes providing a copy of the charter and bylaws that show:
- How officers are elected.
- How membership is notified of meetings and public functions.
- The party has a working website.
- How money is raised and spent.
- How delegates are selected to a national convention.
- How presidential electors are selected.
Each minor party in the state was given 180 days to comply or no longer be recognized by the state, Cate said.
Those who were registered members of any party dropped would be considered among those among the no-party affiliation.
More than 380,000 registered voters in Florida have opted for a minor party. Another 2.2 million have no-party affiliation.
The reform effort was enacted in part due to Josue Larose, a Deerfield Beach resident and perennial political candidate who set up 41 minor political parties prior to the 2010 election.
With names such as the American Billionaires Political Party, American Bourgeoisie Political Party, American Corporate Chief Executive Officers Political Party, American Film Stars Political Party, American Imperialists Political Party, American Jehovah's Witnesses Political Party, American Music Stars Political Party and American Royal Political Party, the vast majority of Larose's parties failed to attract a single registered voter.
Bill Stinson, chairman of the Objectivist Party of Florida, which intends to complete the checklist, supported the reason for the minor party review.
If they are having a lot of fraudulent parties cropping up, it looks like this is a means to take care of that so they can verify these parties, Stinson said. You cant just have someone open up a million different parties.
The legislation prohibits any single person from organizing more than a single party or being the head of more than a single party. Party leadership must also be registered with the party.
Larose, who has since turned his focus to creating superpacs, was able to create the political parties because the law required only two people to be members of the party when it was formed.
Larose could not be reached for comment.
A Quinnipiac University poll released two weeks ago found Floridians had equally disfavorable views of the Democratic and Republican parties, 44 percent each. The GOP was seen favorably by 39 percent of registered voters interviewed in the poll, while the Democratic Party scored a 40 in that category.
Political Parties in Florida with registered voters:
Republican Party of Florida (REP); Florida Democratic Party (DEM); American Party of Florida (APF); American Patriot Party (AMP); American Reform Party of Florida (ARP); Americans Elect (AEL); America's Independent Party of Florida (AIP); British Reformed Sectarian Party (BRS); The Christian Party (CHR); Conservative Party of Florida (CNP); Constitution Party of Florida (CPF); Ecology Party of Florida (ECO); Family Values Party (FVP); Florida Pirate Party (FPP); Florida Socialist Workers Party (SWP); Florida Whig Party (FWP); Green Party of Florida Inc. (GRE); Independence Party of Florida (IDP); Independent Democrats of Florida (IDF); Independent Party of Florida (INT); Jeffersonian Republic Party of Florida (JRP); Libertarian Party of Florida (LIB); Modern Whig Party of Florida (MWP); Objectivist Party of Florida (OBJ); Party for Socialism and Liberation -- Florida (PSL); Possibility Party (POS); Progressive Libertarian Party (PRL); Prohibition Party (PRO); Real Food Party of the United States of America (RFP); Reform Party (REF); Socialist Party of Florida (SPF); Surfers Party of America (SPA); Tea Party of Florida (TPF); Unity08 (UNI).
MINOR POLITICAL PARTY CHECKLIST
Name of proposed Minor Political Party: ___________________________________________
On the January 1st preceding a primary election, the proposed minor political party does not have registered as members 5 percent of the total registered voters of the state (s. 97.012(18), Florida Statutes).
The group is organized for the general purposes of electing qualified persons to office and determining public issues under the democratic processes of the United States (s. 103.095(1), Florida Statutes).
In addition, the following are required by s. 103.095, Florida Statutes, to be filed with the Department of State:
A certificate (i.e., a signed document) showing the:
Name of the organization (i.e., the party).
Names and addresses of its current officers.
Names and addresses of the members of its executive committee.
The members of the executive committee must elect a chair, vice chair, secretary and treasurer (the secretary and treasurer can be same person; others cannot hold more than one office), all of whom must be members of the party.
A completed uniform statewide voter registration application for each of its current officers and members of its executive committee reflecting a party affiliation with the proposed party must accompany the certificate.
A copy of the partys:
Constitution. [Could be called a charter.]
Bylaws, and rules and regulations [these all essentially mean rules]; plus,
The constitution, bylaws, rules, regulations or other equivalent documents must reflect that each member of the party has a fundamental right to fully and meaningfully participate in the business and affairs of the party without any monetary encumbrance.
Also, the constitution, bylaws, rules, regulations or other equivalent documents must provide for and have reasonable provisions that prescribe procedures to:
Prescribe its membership.
Conduct its meeting according to generally accepted parliamentary practices.
Timely notify its members as to time, date, and place of all its meetings.
Timely publish notice on its public and functioning website as to the time, date, and place of all its meetings. (Thus, the group must provide: A functioning website address.)
Elect its officers.
Remove its officers.
Make party nominations (when required by law).
Conduct campaigns for party nominees.
Raise and expend party funds.
Select delegates to its national convention, if applicable.
Select presidential electors, if applicable.
Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com, (850) 727-0859, or (772) 215-9889.
