THE VOTER PARTICIPARTY

Direct democracy via representative pledge

A candidate eligible for election to a state or federal legislature may obtain The Voter ParticiParty’s support by signing The ParticiParty’s pledge.

A ParticiParty Representative:

1. Must make a reasonable and diligent effort to discover and vote the majority opinion of his or her constituency, excepting only a vote which presents the substantial risk of a clearly illegal result.
2. Must make a reasonable and diligent effort to study and clarify for his or her constituents all likely voting issues, including genuine effort to understand and honestly explain congressional rules of order, and finance, budget and monetary issues.
3. Must make a reasonable and diligent effort to communicate effectively with constituents, including a thorough statement of justification for all votes and abstentions.
4. Must support simplicity and directness in the writing and effect of legislation, and be clear and direct in communications, arguments and actions.
5. Must abstain or vote “no” when a bill is unclear or unfinished to the point where he or she risks violating another ParticiParty pledge, but otherwise may not abstain from voting on a bill except in the case of a clearly explained and readily apparent legal or schedule conflict.
6. Must vote “yes” for reasonable rules supportive of openness, study and deliberation, and “no” for unreasonable stealth or self-executing rules, or rules without due consideration for independent or minority party rights.
7. May maintain other party affiliations, provided he or she does not thereby come into conflict with the other items of this pledge.
8. May take a position on an issue and attempt to persuade his or her constituents, but is not required to, and may not vote his or her “conscience” if it would conflict with the majority opinion of the constituents or the other items of this pledge.
9. Must maintain basic standards of civility and non-violence in personal and political life.

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