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After
Ernest’s unsuccessful run for Congress, Shugart decided what voters really needed was a
better way to voice protest instead of not voting. They needed to have their protest
be officially recorded and reported, just like a vote for a specific
candidate.
Shugart believed that by providing an
opportunity for voters to choose "None of the Above" on
statewide and presidential elections, more people would register to vote,
and more registered voters would be encouraged to vote. Since this would
be strictly a "protest" vote, if "None of the Above"
should be the vote winner in a contest, the individual receiving the
second highest number of votes would be declared the winner. With this
belief, Shugart decided to pursue changing the law. The Friends of Ernest
Political Action Committee was formed.
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In October 1998, FOEPAC received the
results of a telephone survey conducted by a political research
company, indicating that about 50-60 percent of California’s
voters supported the idea of a "None of the Above" ballot
measure.
FOEPAC
pursued this ballot option by using the initiative process in
California. A ballot measure was drafted that would allow a
"None of the Above" option in all statewide and federal
elections (excluding judicial elections).
That
measure was submitted to the California Attorney General in order to
qualify it for the March 2000 ballot.
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In January 1999, signature
gathering began. By May of that year, over 650,000 signatures were
submitted. On July 15, 1999, the measure was certified by the
California Secretary of State, which officially qualified it for the
March 2000 ballot.
During the time prior to the March 2000
election, FOEPAC enthusiastically campaigned for Proposition 23, the
"None of the Above Election Reform Act." Although the
measure was eventually defeated, it should be noted that during the
signature gathering process, over 60,000 new voters were registered.
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