Remarks of Thomas McLauglin, Reform Party State Treasurer and COFOE national chairman, at the kickoff rally for the Voter’s Choice Act

Harrisburg State Capitol
September 24, 2005

Every third party or independent candidate who has run for public office has been accused of stealing votes from one of the major party candidates. Interestingly this same accusation is not heard during major party primaries when there are three, four or even five candidates running.

Third party candidates and independents are also accused of causing ballot clutter (too many choices) or voter confusion (too many candidates). None of these issues were raised during the Democratic Presidential Primaries and Debates. (Republicans had no choice.)

In the 1998 Republican Congressional Primary, following the retirement of Congressman Joe McDade, there were eight Republican candidates. The issues of ballot clutter and voter confusion were never raised. In fact, Democratic Candidate Pat Casey and myself, the Reform Party Candidate, were invited and did participate in a number of PRIMARY ELECTION debates along with the EIGHT Republican candidates.

Prior to the adoption of the current Pennsylvania Election Code of 1939 there were many political parties active in Pennsylvania and candidates ran on multiple ballot lines. There was no voter confusion. In fact there was more voter participation.

Lets look at recent elections.

2004 was the last time we elected Members of Congress and the Pennsylvania Legislature. Of 19 Congressional seats in Pennsylvania, 5 would have been unopposed in the November GENERAL Election had it not been for 16 minor political party and Independent candidates. In 27% of the Congressional races the voters would have had no choice.

That same year in the Pennsylvania Senate, of the 25 State Senate Seats up for election, seven would have been unopposed if not for 3 minor party and Independent candidates. In 28% of the State Senate races the voters would have had no choice.

Now lets look at the most recent Pennsylvania House of Representatives Election. In 2004 of the 203 seats up for election, 114 would have gone unopposed had it not been for 30 minor party and Independent candidates. Over 56% of the State Representatives would have no measure of their constituents’ satisfaction with their performance. Is it any wonder they felt comfortable passing a salary increase for themselves.

In this year’s Primary there are 29 Counties electing Judges to the Court of Common Pleas. In three counties there is only one candidate running. In 6 other counties there are a total of two candidates running in the Republican and Democratic Party Primaries. For nearly one third of the County Judge races in 2005, the taxpayer funded partisan primary is virtually meaningless.

Republicans and Democrats try to muddy the waters or write us off as third parties. What is clear is that in large sections of the Commonwealth we are not third parties, we are the only functional SECOND Party.

The numbers speak for themselves. The May 2005 Voter Registration Statistics available on the Pennsylvania Bureau of Elections website show, while in Philadelphia County only 16% of the registered voters are Republican, in Monroe County nearly 19% of the voters are registered to one of our groups. In Pike County together we represent over 18% of the registered voters. In Centre County it is 18%. In Chester County - 16.5%. Northampton, Lehigh, Union and Bucks Counties each have over 15% of their registered voters listed as something other than Republican or Democrat. I show these numbers because the current, albeit 1939, Pennsylvania Election Code sets a threshold of 15% of the registered voters in order for a political party to be on a par with the Democrats and Republicans.

The new Voter Choice Act we are proposing here today will more clearly recognize our political strength among the voters in Pennsylvania. It will enable our organizations to better represent our constituents in the voting public. But most importantly, it will result in more choices for the voters on Election Day. In many instances, without us, the voters would have NO choice.