Maryland Independent Party Dissolves Amongst Voter Confusion
By Bianca Ciotti | 09/14/2012 | Elections 2012, Electoral Reform, Featured, States | 17 Comments
Credit: Citizensincharge.com
The Maryland Independent Party, recognized by the state in 2008, has been dissolved due to dormant campaign finances. The state Elections Board voted on June 3rd to withdraw recognition of the party by closing its campaign account. As a result, voters affiliated with the party are free to change their party affiliation for the upcoming elections in November.
The Maryland Independent Party was recognized in 2008 when it campaigned for presidential candidate Ralph Nader. The party has since fallen inactive and they are not supporting a candidate in the current election.
When informed of their dissolution, voters expressed surprise that they were affiliated with the party. On the Maryland voter registration forms, a person may choose to affiliate with a number of parties, including the Independent party, or choose to be unaffiliated. Most voters who chose the “Independent” affiliation believed that they were selecting the non-partisan, or independent option, which Maryland labels as “unaffiliated.”
Unbeknownst to many voters, when they thought they were declaring their independence from the party system, they were actually affiliating themselves with a political party. The Maryland Elections Board has not received complaints about the party’s dissolution, but received complaints from those who believed they were truly independent from the party system.
Mary Wagner, director of of voter registration for the Maryland Elections Board commented:
“People were actually astounded that they were affiliated with a party.”
A cursory search of other states reveals that many have an established “Independent” party. The confusing and bureaucratic process of voter registration may have mistakenly caused people to register under a party which they do not support. Recognized parties vary from state-to-state, as does the jargon on the voter registration forms. Concerned voters across the nation should check their registration and confirm that they are unaffiliated with a party, rather than mistakenly affiliated with an “Independent” party recognized in their state.
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17 Comments
Matt Metzner
09.14.2012
@mmetzner
Independent and party are two words that don’t mix. Independents define themselves by thinking outside party lines.
Stefan A. Schoellmann
09.15.2012
Did you hire your Cabinet Makers yet?
Jason Harsha
09.15.2012
To avoid the confusion in my state we the unaffiliated independent.
Greg Bard
09.15.2012
I have been telling people this for years. Register “unaffiliated” or “decline to state.”
James Fisher
09.15.2012
It’s Maryland…I’m not surprised.
Felipe A. Arocho
09.15.2012
Yes it does, but we still need a 3rd party in this country!! We need a party that will actually do what’s right this country and not do what’s right for their party or themselves!! With that being said, I think we’re screwed!!
Billy Hoff
09.15.2012
i consider myself an independent, i align with no party, i vote for the man (i did NOT vote for bozo) not the party. if you vote simply by party, well, you get what we got!
Jane Gilbert
09.15.2012
I changed my affiliation (or lack there-of) here in Maryland a few years ago, and it was clear on the form I filled out that there was an “Independent Party” and then there was “Unaffiliated.” If people accidentally registered with the party, they just weren’t looking closely enough.
Rick London
09.15.2012
In Arkansas being Independent is smart. I imagine the same is so in most states. We can vote Indie, Demo, or GOP and learn the real facts without being blasted by party rhetoric. I was a GOP who jumped ship when the GOP turned into the “Cult Of The Egg”; and personhood was born (no pun intended); and it felt like the Wizard Of Oz “Are you a good rapist.. or a bad rapist?” …and the GOP Congress is not only dismal but treasonous. Ryan was on every bill including Simpson Bowles that never made it out of committee for a vote (including all those jobs bills) BLOCKED; then methodically blamed Obama. If I had been in my old GOP party, I would have never know; I’d be watching FOX (only) and believed my party rhetoric. I still watch FOX but also MSNBC and I know somewhere between the two stories is the truth. Obama? Far from perfect but very very good; and now I see (after this recent diplomatic debacle, why Caroline Kennedy spoke at the Demo Convention and compared Obama to her Dad and said, “He’s the type of man with the type of vision my father felt was best to run this country”. So much we learn in the Indie party; that we don’t when hearing only our own party rhetoric.
Brenda Fuller Shriver
09.15.2012
Kinda like the teenage who wants to be different from his parents, so he conforms to all the other “rebellious” teens, don’t yyou think?
Dan Kanagie
09.15.2012
it defeats it as much as a Democrat calling themselves Liberal (which they most certainly are not!).
David Davidson
09.15.2012
Thanks for posting this article IV. Listen I have always been of the opinion that we need, truly need, a viable third political party in this country. One in which WE ALL, ALL OF US TOGETHER, can stand and be counted under so that we can FINALLY hold to account the Republicans and Democrats in Washington–THEY NEED US FAR MORE THAN WE NEED THEM–ESPECIALLY AT EVER MAJOR ELECTION CYCLE, NOT UNLIKE THE ONE IN WHICH WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF RIGHT NOW. When you get right down to the nitty gritty there are thirty three political parties registered and established in the USA, thirty three. I’ve done extensive research myself on all thirty three political parties party platforms and all of them, in commonality and totality, agree on ten core principles: Spending, Taxes, Inflation, War, Peace, Health, Happiness, Civil, International and Welfare (or more commonly referred to as the Public Good). They all agree that such is both a necessity as well as a right, even the Communist Party USA agrees, hard to fathom I know, but they agree none the less. Any who, and I’m coming to the end of my soap box stance. I believe that based on those ten things we can, all of us can come together and UNITE as one under the Independent National Committee or INC, just like the DNC and the RNC, and elect, re-elect and get elected Independent Candidates to high offices, up to and including the Presidency of these United States of America. INDEPENDENTS UNITE!
Guillermo Calvillo
09.15.2012
I am unaffiliated independent voter. Do not want to belong to any party. Although that takes away my rights in the parties’ primary elections.
Alan Reynolds
09.15.2012
It depends, if the Independent Party, has no platform. It allows for coalition and a demonstration of the viablitiy of an independent candidate. If there is a platform or agenda, then yes it defeats the purpose.
Alan Reynolds
09.15.2012
@Felipe, http://www.modernwhig.org what do you think?
La'Dene Bean
09.15.2012
i elected to go undeclared and my state decided that means Indepeneant. Registrar of Voters advised required designation so I can vote in California ~
Duane Dichiara
09.15.2012
This post is incredibly enjoyable. Why? Because it points out the underlying problem with the main argument you advance – that independent candidates are viable on a large scale. Why? Because without the structure of a political party independent candidates simply will never have the infrastructure or resources or recruitment or training or discipline to win in large numbers… but if ‘independents’ form a political party, well they aren’t so independent anymore are they? And – just as enjoyable – if some independents form a political party how can ‘free thinkers’ decide what that party will stand for? Free thinking? That’s a recipe for internal strife and dissolution. You see in my opinion it’s precisely because inds dont have a party, and are unlikely to elect large numbers of candidates, that gives IVN the freedom to be anything to anyone… to project moral superiority… because you don’t have to run a party and you don’t have to run candidates, and you don’t have to govern. That being said, I enjoy IVN tremendously. Keep it up guys.