A logical look at liberty by Stephanie E. Watson.

I just completed and mailed three more questionnaires, and this time I’ve scanned them in instead of typing them up. Clicked the linked organization name to view each as a PDF:

North Carolinians for Free and Proper Elections (NCFPE)

N.C. Voters for Clean Elections (NCVCE)

North Carolina Family Policy Council

I really enjoyed the B.J. Lawson BBQ event on Saturday. The brisket was delicious, and the conversation was enjoyable. I appreciate B.J. giving me the unexpected chance to introduce myself and mention my top campaign issues. That simple introduction broke the ice for me and made for a wonderful evening of meeting some great people and talking about liberty.

Had an opportunity to meet my Republican opponent at the event. Mr. Beezley is a great guy who’s also passionate about changing the direction of government in N.C. Though we disagree on the role government should play in that change, I’m glad there’s people like Beezley putting their hat in the ring to get the self-serving establishment out of the legislature.

Wednesday’s coming, and I’m really looking forward to being part of the StopNCAnnexation Rally in Raleigh. I’ll be doused in sunscreen and ready to talk about meaningful annexation reform. Hopefully, I won’t forget to take my camera this time. (Darn it, Fernie! You were always there, and you always remembered! We miss you, and we’ll keep trying to fill your well-worn activist shoes.)

Then… Saturday, June 19, is the big COOKOUT at Pullen Park! Be sure to spread the word! The food and fun are free, and I’ll give a brief statement to talk about my campaign. Bring the whole family! I posted the details at the Meetup.com group, but RSVP there is optional: http://www.meetup.com/GoLiberty/calendar/13591665/

If you’d like to volunteer to help for the cookout, email me at stef@goliberty.net and I’ll let you know what tasks we still need covered.

In one of my college math classes a few years ago, my class discussed the different forms of voting and how it’s nearly impossible to have a “fair” voting system for all situations. So let’s not talk about “fair” voting for N.C. elections. Instead, let’s talk about how to achieve a “true majority” vote. Here are some facts that reveal that our current “whoever gets the most votes” system is not a true representation of who we want in office:

• North Carolina has an increasing number of unaffiliated voters, and they outnumber at least one of the “big two” parties in several counties.
• Governor Perdue won her seat by less than 50% of the vote, implying that even with the large voter turn-out for Obama, the majority of North Carolina voters DID NOT vote for her.
• Each time there is not a clear majority in an election, N.C. has to fund and orchestrate a separate run-off election. This gets expensive, and yet it’s preventable!
• The Libertarian Party in North Carolina has shown consistent growth since it regained ballot access in 2008, but it has struggled against the fear among voters that they would be “wasting” their vote to vote Libertarian. As long as the “big two” parties can perpetuate this fear, no third party will prevail, and the unique and diverse interests of the growing block of unaffiliated voters will be ignored.
• Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) has been a success in several places so far and it’s growing in popularity. It’s currently the best option on the table to achieve a “true majority” vote while only casting a single ballot.
• IRV has already been well-received in N.C.: check out this link at FairVote.org where Cary, NC, voters are interviewed about IRV in their municipal elections in 2007: http://archive.fairvote.org/?page=2302

Without IRV, a vote for a Libertarian candidate like me will count only for me. With IRV, votes for Libertarian candidates like me will count not only for that Libertarian, but also for the voter’s second choice if the first choice doesn’t get enough votes to make it through the first “round.” Plus, we don’t have to go to the polls but once to enjoy this: it’s all done by ranking choices on a single ballot.

I’m ready to see IRV used in North Carolina. In the N.C. Senate, I will author and introduce a bill to phase IRV into N.C. voting procedures, starting at the top of the ticket with our Governor’s race in 2012.

If you’re not familiar with IRV, check out some of the helpful information at Instantrunoff.com and FairVote.org

Seriously, if you just take all the tweets I made at twitter.com/goliberty with the hash tag #lpnc, you’ll have my complete report from the Libertarian Party 2010 National Convention. I really enjoyed this first experience at “national,” and I look forward to our growth and movement from now through the 2012 elections. It’s never been a better time to consider the Libertarian Party!

For official information about our party business, see lp.org.  In the meantime, I hope I get some time in the next few days to edit my “Blair Arch Project” video (the Munger van crew came up with that one) and post that a GoLibertyTV on YouTube.