FAQ: Americans Elect's Board, Committees, Funding, Security, Process and More
In response to some of your frequently asked questions, we’ve put together this post so that all the answers are in one convenient place. If you have more questions, please click on Feedback to the right of the screen.
1. Who runs Americans Elect? Who makes up the board and committees?
2. What is the role of the Americans Elect Board of Directors and Candidate Certification Committee? What role do delegates play?
3. What is Americans Elect's position on the candidates and issues? Does AE have a preferred candidate or party?
4. How do we know that the Americans Elect online convention is secure?
5. How is Americans Elect funded, and how is the money spent?
6. What if I'm still not sure about Americans Elect?
Scroll down to see the answers...
1. Who runs Americans Elect? Who makes up the board and committees?
Click here to see the members of our Board of Directors and Leadership team. Our committees are currently made up as follows:
Rules Committee
- Tom Sansonetti (R)
Partner, Holland & Hart; former General Counsel, Republican National Committee
- Dr. F. Christopher Arterton (D)
Director of the Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet, George Washington University
Financial Audit
- Roderick M. Hills (R)
Partner, Hills, Stern & Morley, LLP; Former Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission
- Irvine O. Hockaday, Jr. (R)
Retired President and CEO, Hallmark Cards
Candidate Certification
- The Honorable William H. Webster (R)
Former Director, FBI and CIA; Chairman, Homeland Security and Advisory Council; Retired Partner, Milbank, Tweed, Hadley and McCoy
- Larry Diamond (D)
Senior Fellow, Hoover Institute and Freeman Spogli Institute, Stanford University
- James Thomson (I)
President emeritus, RAND Corporation
Platform of Questions
- Will Marshall (D)
President, Progressive Policy Institute
- Nancy Roman (R)
2. What is the role of the Americans Elect Board of Directors and Candidate Certification Committee? What role do delegates play?
We don’t pretend that the Americans Elect process is perfect. But we do believe that to evaluate it fairly, you should compare it to the current system employed by the two parties.
For the past year, a small group of Democratic and Republican party leaders and media elites has been narrowing the field of presidential candidates, before a single American has voted. And once voting begins, the decision will essentially be up to the select few who live in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.
Most Americans have little say in choosing our presidential candidates. That is the status quo, and it is not democratic.
Meanwhile, there are now more than 300,000 Americans Elect delegates across the country (and counting), more than double the number of people who voted in the 2008 Iowa GOP caucus, which had a huge impact on that race. With Americans Elect any registered voter can be a delegate, so everyone has not only a say, but an equal say, regardless of your state residency or party affiliation.
Americans understand that we’re increasingly disenfranchised, and many groups have popped up in recent years in response to the frustration so many of us are feeling. Americans Elect is proud to say that one of the things that sets us apart is that we’re offering a tangible solution capable of effecting real change.
But that difference comes with its challenges. We want results. That means we’re required to be not only idealistic, but also realistic.
So we’ve created a system open equally to all, that will produce a credible candidate capable of winning, or certainly having an impact in, the general election.
In obvious contrast to the major parties, we allow any registered voter to be a delegate to our convention and any of our delegates to nominate a candidate. Our delegates work to improve our rules and shape our Platform of Questions, a vital document that all candidates will be required to answer.
In the 235 years of our country’s history, rank-and-file American voters have never before possessed these powers.
Had the Founding Fathers had access to today’s technology, perhaps they would have created a system as democratic as the one we’re creating at Americans Elect. As it is, thanks to the Electoral College, in the 2008 presidential election, the vote of one Wyoming resident carried nearly three times more weight than the vote of one California resident. In the Americans Elect nominating process, every vote counts equally.
In order to make sure those votes are cast with maximum impact, it’s vital that our process produce candidates with real credibility. That’s why our Candidate Certification Committee reviews candidates, to make sure they’re Constitutionally eligible, and have qualifications similar to those possessed by past presidents.
Without this process, the result could easily mimic the 2003 California Gubernatorial Recall Election, which attracted candidates including former child star Gary Coleman and porn star Mary Carey.
The problems facing our country and the current lack of faith in the political process are too serious for a similar circus. American voters deserve better choices.
Contrary to the candidate vetting conducted by the major parties, ours is done in the open, and the Candidate Certification Committee decisions that aren’t unanimous can be overruled by a simple majority of our delegates. (This originally required a 2/3 vote, but the board changed this rule in response to delegate feedback.)
All board and committee decisions are posted to our website. Our complete rules and bylaws are posted on our Official Documents page for all to review, along with our tax forms, audited financial statements, conflict of interest policy, and more.
It’s true that our board retains certain fail-safes, to ensure that this totally new process can be executed fairly. For instance, if the independent auditor who checks our results believes a vote has been compromised, the board may order a revote.
But our board has no power in the most important decision of all -- the selection of the nominee. Indeed, that decision is solely in the hands of our delegates -- the American people.
As former head of the Federal Election Commission Brad Smith said in a recent piece:
So in the end, the board answers to you.
3. What is Americans Elect's position on the candidates and issues? Does AE have a preferred candidate or party?
Americans Elect takes no position on any candidate or issue. We simply provide a process, and candidates, delegate-led draft efforts and voters provide the rest.
As part of our process, we require each presidential candidate to pick a running mate from a party other than his or her own. Some express concerns that this policy could be used to weed out certain candidates and foist the AE board’s predetermined choice on the populace. However, our bylaws clearly state:
Some people ask whether our balanced ticket policy equates to a “centrist” political agenda. What the American people crave is not just centrism, but, even more fundamentally, stable solutions to the problems facing our nation. And stable solutions require collaboration, compromise and consensus.
If voters want a ticket comprised of two Republicans or two Democrats, those options exist. But when candidates pick running mates from outside their parties, it’s a clear sign that they’re working to build the consensus necessary to get things done, and that they’ll govern without regard to the partisan interests of either major party. What’s noteworthy is not that we’re requiring a bipartisan ticket, it’s that we’re allowing it.
In 2008, the Republicans barred John McCain from picking Joe Lieberman as his running mate. In 2004, the Democrats stopped John Kerry from asking McCain. This despite the fact that American voters showed strong interest in those tickets. But that is the status quo, and it is neither democratic, nor what the people want.
It’s true that, because of ballot access laws in some states, we are forced to register as a “political party” or a “political minor party” to get on the ballot. The fact that we have done so is not a sign of some hidden agenda on our part, but of a concerted effort by the Republicans and Democrats to shut out competition. Ballot access laws across the country are grossly distorted in their favor, to the detriment of the American people.
One small example: In California, a bastion of direct democracy, it takes the signatures of roughly 500,000 voters to place a proposed law on the ballot and 800,000 to amend the State Constitution, but more than one million to qualify as a political party and offer Californians competition in the political marketplace.
Therein lies one of the great challenges and great ironies of Americans Elect: We’re forced to fight within the confines of a closed and broken system in order to fix it.
4. How do we know that the Americans Elect online convention is secure?
Security is of paramount importance to us. We don’t endorse Internet voting for a general election, but we do believe it’s secure and reliable for a caucus like ours. Our site already incorporates bank-level security, and as we get closer to our first ballots next spring, the level of authentication required to participate will increase substantially. We do not store any personal information, and are working with TrustE and MacAfee to ensure privacy and security.
All delegates can print paper receipts of their votes, so an independent audit committee can manually confirm results.
5. How is Americans Elect funded and how is the money spent?
In 2008, the parties and special interests spent billions promoting their choices for president. It is going to take about $30 million for the American people to finally be able to promote their own choice.
About 50 percent of that budget goes to signature gathering and legal costs to get on the ballot in all 50 states. About 35 percent goes to building the website, which is the platform that makes your participation possible. About 15 percent goes to operations. That’s it. None of it goes to support candidates or issues. That part is up to you, our delegates.
The people who provided the seed money to get us started come from across the political spectrum. They share a deep concern about our country’s broken political system, and a strong desire to do something about it. But they also know that it’s hard being among the first to publicly support something that challenges an entrenched and powerful establishment.
We believe that the paralysis brought about by the rise of hyperpartisanship is the best possible evidence of how highly the two parties value loyalty. You don’t keep such tight control on your members without punishing those who stray.
Truth is, we can’t wait for the day when our funders will brag about their involvement with Americans Elect. But right now, the very reason they won’t is the very reason we exist. The two parties have a multi-billion dollar interest in maintaining the status quo, and breaking their monopoly means going up against some of the most powerful interests in the world.
All our funders—large and small—are free to disclose their donations to the public at any time, and we encourage them to do so. But they aren’t required to disclose, and we won’t force them to.
Giving to Americans Elect buys you no special influence whatsoever, and all donors acknowledge that fact when they contribute.
None of the money contributed to Americans Elect is used to support a candidate, candidate committee, political party, or issue. We accept money only from individuals. No money is accepted from candidates, candidate committees, political parties, special interests, corporations, PACs, lobbyists, unions, or foreign sources. All of our declared candidates are required to file with the Federal Elections Commission and follow the same disclosure rules that the major party candidates follow.
No Americans Elect funds will be used to support our ticket even once one is chosen. It will be up to the AE candidate to fund his or her own campaign.
And that’s not just our policy. It’s the law. Because we’re a nonprofit, we’re not allowed to advocate for candidates or issues, so we don’t and never will.
6. What if I'm still not sure about Americans Elect?
Like most Americans, we believe our country is in some trouble. Americans Elect is a serious effort to help find a way out. We know it might not be perfect and we appreciate peoples’ concerns and suggestions. All we ask is this: In times of trouble, don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
If you’re still skeptical, that’s fine. We’re confident that as this process unfolds, our actions will show how seriously we take our stated mission, and you’ll be able to judge for yourself.
But please don't let your skepticism stop you from participating now.
Participation as a delegate in Americans Elect is a low risk, high reward proposition. You can still vote in your party’s primary and can still vote for a major party candidate in the general election in 2012. We’re really just asking for your time and consideration. In exchange, you gain unprecedented power in our political system.
If it turns out we’re a shady front group with an ulterior motive then when that becomes apparent, you can kick us to the curb and choose one of the major party candidates in November.
Of course that’s not who we are, and we’re confident that you’ll reach that conclusion on your own. When that happens, you and millions of other Americans will be glad you took this opportunity to be one of the innovators who restored competition and openness to American politics, and made your voices heard.
Sign up to take part in the Americans Elect process here.
This article was adapted for this FAQ from a piece by Americans Elect political director Darry Sragow. Additional information was added from other pages on AmericansElect.org.
1. Who runs Americans Elect? Who makes up the board and committees?
2. What is the role of the Americans Elect Board of Directors and Candidate Certification Committee? What role do delegates play?
3. What is Americans Elect's position on the candidates and issues? Does AE have a preferred candidate or party?
4. How do we know that the Americans Elect online convention is secure?
5. How is Americans Elect funded, and how is the money spent?
6. What if I'm still not sure about Americans Elect?
Scroll down to see the answers...
1. Who runs Americans Elect? Who makes up the board and committees?
Click here to see the members of our Board of Directors and Leadership team. Our committees are currently made up as follows:
Rules Committee
- Tom Sansonetti (R)
Partner, Holland & Hart; former General Counsel, Republican National Committee
- Dr. F. Christopher Arterton (D)
Director of the Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet, George Washington University
Financial Audit
- Roderick M. Hills (R)
Partner, Hills, Stern & Morley, LLP; Former Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission
- Irvine O. Hockaday, Jr. (R)
Retired President and CEO, Hallmark Cards
Candidate Certification
- The Honorable William H. Webster (R)
Former Director, FBI and CIA; Chairman, Homeland Security and Advisory Council; Retired Partner, Milbank, Tweed, Hadley and McCoy
- Larry Diamond (D)
Senior Fellow, Hoover Institute and Freeman Spogli Institute, Stanford University
- James Thomson (I)
President emeritus, RAND Corporation
Platform of Questions
- Will Marshall (D)
President, Progressive Policy Institute
- Nancy Roman (R)
2. What is the role of the Americans Elect Board of Directors and Candidate Certification Committee? What role do delegates play?
We don’t pretend that the Americans Elect process is perfect. But we do believe that to evaluate it fairly, you should compare it to the current system employed by the two parties.
For the past year, a small group of Democratic and Republican party leaders and media elites has been narrowing the field of presidential candidates, before a single American has voted. And once voting begins, the decision will essentially be up to the select few who live in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.
Most Americans have little say in choosing our presidential candidates. That is the status quo, and it is not democratic.
Meanwhile, there are now more than 300,000 Americans Elect delegates across the country (and counting), more than double the number of people who voted in the 2008 Iowa GOP caucus, which had a huge impact on that race. With Americans Elect any registered voter can be a delegate, so everyone has not only a say, but an equal say, regardless of your state residency or party affiliation.
Americans understand that we’re increasingly disenfranchised, and many groups have popped up in recent years in response to the frustration so many of us are feeling. Americans Elect is proud to say that one of the things that sets us apart is that we’re offering a tangible solution capable of effecting real change.
But that difference comes with its challenges. We want results. That means we’re required to be not only idealistic, but also realistic.
So we’ve created a system open equally to all, that will produce a credible candidate capable of winning, or certainly having an impact in, the general election.
In obvious contrast to the major parties, we allow any registered voter to be a delegate to our convention and any of our delegates to nominate a candidate. Our delegates work to improve our rules and shape our Platform of Questions, a vital document that all candidates will be required to answer.
In the 235 years of our country’s history, rank-and-file American voters have never before possessed these powers.
Had the Founding Fathers had access to today’s technology, perhaps they would have created a system as democratic as the one we’re creating at Americans Elect. As it is, thanks to the Electoral College, in the 2008 presidential election, the vote of one Wyoming resident carried nearly three times more weight than the vote of one California resident. In the Americans Elect nominating process, every vote counts equally.
In order to make sure those votes are cast with maximum impact, it’s vital that our process produce candidates with real credibility. That’s why our Candidate Certification Committee reviews candidates, to make sure they’re Constitutionally eligible, and have qualifications similar to those possessed by past presidents.
Without this process, the result could easily mimic the 2003 California Gubernatorial Recall Election, which attracted candidates including former child star Gary Coleman and porn star Mary Carey.
The problems facing our country and the current lack of faith in the political process are too serious for a similar circus. American voters deserve better choices.
Contrary to the candidate vetting conducted by the major parties, ours is done in the open, and the Candidate Certification Committee decisions that aren’t unanimous can be overruled by a simple majority of our delegates. (This originally required a 2/3 vote, but the board changed this rule in response to delegate feedback.)
All board and committee decisions are posted to our website. Our complete rules and bylaws are posted on our Official Documents page for all to review, along with our tax forms, audited financial statements, conflict of interest policy, and more.
It’s true that our board retains certain fail-safes, to ensure that this totally new process can be executed fairly. For instance, if the independent auditor who checks our results believes a vote has been compromised, the board may order a revote.
But our board has no power in the most important decision of all -- the selection of the nominee. Indeed, that decision is solely in the hands of our delegates -- the American people.
As former head of the Federal Election Commission Brad Smith said in a recent piece:
We understand the inclination to speculate about what could happen if the board’s powers were abused. But we also ask you to consider what would happen if those powers didn’t exist. And we ask you to consider the devastating effect that any abuse of power would have on our delegates’ involvement. We cannot succeed in our mission without a broad base of popular participation. If we alienate our delegates and you jump ship, we will fail.“Compared to the Democratic or Republican National Committees, Americans Elect seems to have established a remarkably open process for members to voice their opinions and select candidates who agree with the majority of those opinions, at least as much as is ever possible in politics.”
So in the end, the board answers to you.
3. What is Americans Elect's position on the candidates and issues? Does AE have a preferred candidate or party?
Americans Elect takes no position on any candidate or issue. We simply provide a process, and candidates, delegate-led draft efforts and voters provide the rest.
As part of our process, we require each presidential candidate to pick a running mate from a party other than his or her own. Some express concerns that this policy could be used to weed out certain candidates and foist the AE board’s predetermined choice on the populace. However, our bylaws clearly state:
We’d also point out that non-unanimous decisions on whether a candidate has a “balanced ticket” can be overruled by a simple majority of the delegates -- changed from two-thirds based on delegate feedback -- and that any apparent abuse of power would send our all-important delegates running for the exits.Board members shall not communicate or act in favor of or in opposition to any candidate for President or Vice President at any time before the adjournment of the online nominating convention of Americans Elect.
Some people ask whether our balanced ticket policy equates to a “centrist” political agenda. What the American people crave is not just centrism, but, even more fundamentally, stable solutions to the problems facing our nation. And stable solutions require collaboration, compromise and consensus.
If voters want a ticket comprised of two Republicans or two Democrats, those options exist. But when candidates pick running mates from outside their parties, it’s a clear sign that they’re working to build the consensus necessary to get things done, and that they’ll govern without regard to the partisan interests of either major party. What’s noteworthy is not that we’re requiring a bipartisan ticket, it’s that we’re allowing it.
In 2008, the Republicans barred John McCain from picking Joe Lieberman as his running mate. In 2004, the Democrats stopped John Kerry from asking McCain. This despite the fact that American voters showed strong interest in those tickets. But that is the status quo, and it is neither democratic, nor what the people want.
It’s true that, because of ballot access laws in some states, we are forced to register as a “political party” or a “political minor party” to get on the ballot. The fact that we have done so is not a sign of some hidden agenda on our part, but of a concerted effort by the Republicans and Democrats to shut out competition. Ballot access laws across the country are grossly distorted in their favor, to the detriment of the American people.
One small example: In California, a bastion of direct democracy, it takes the signatures of roughly 500,000 voters to place a proposed law on the ballot and 800,000 to amend the State Constitution, but more than one million to qualify as a political party and offer Californians competition in the political marketplace.
Therein lies one of the great challenges and great ironies of Americans Elect: We’re forced to fight within the confines of a closed and broken system in order to fix it.
4. How do we know that the Americans Elect online convention is secure?
Security is of paramount importance to us. We don’t endorse Internet voting for a general election, but we do believe it’s secure and reliable for a caucus like ours. Our site already incorporates bank-level security, and as we get closer to our first ballots next spring, the level of authentication required to participate will increase substantially. We do not store any personal information, and are working with TrustE and MacAfee to ensure privacy and security.
All delegates can print paper receipts of their votes, so an independent audit committee can manually confirm results.
5. How is Americans Elect funded and how is the money spent?
In 2008, the parties and special interests spent billions promoting their choices for president. It is going to take about $30 million for the American people to finally be able to promote their own choice.
About 50 percent of that budget goes to signature gathering and legal costs to get on the ballot in all 50 states. About 35 percent goes to building the website, which is the platform that makes your participation possible. About 15 percent goes to operations. That’s it. None of it goes to support candidates or issues. That part is up to you, our delegates.
The people who provided the seed money to get us started come from across the political spectrum. They share a deep concern about our country’s broken political system, and a strong desire to do something about it. But they also know that it’s hard being among the first to publicly support something that challenges an entrenched and powerful establishment.
We believe that the paralysis brought about by the rise of hyperpartisanship is the best possible evidence of how highly the two parties value loyalty. You don’t keep such tight control on your members without punishing those who stray.
Truth is, we can’t wait for the day when our funders will brag about their involvement with Americans Elect. But right now, the very reason they won’t is the very reason we exist. The two parties have a multi-billion dollar interest in maintaining the status quo, and breaking their monopoly means going up against some of the most powerful interests in the world.
All our funders—large and small—are free to disclose their donations to the public at any time, and we encourage them to do so. But they aren’t required to disclose, and we won’t force them to.
Giving to Americans Elect buys you no special influence whatsoever, and all donors acknowledge that fact when they contribute.
None of the money contributed to Americans Elect is used to support a candidate, candidate committee, political party, or issue. We accept money only from individuals. No money is accepted from candidates, candidate committees, political parties, special interests, corporations, PACs, lobbyists, unions, or foreign sources. All of our declared candidates are required to file with the Federal Elections Commission and follow the same disclosure rules that the major party candidates follow.
No Americans Elect funds will be used to support our ticket even once one is chosen. It will be up to the AE candidate to fund his or her own campaign.
And that’s not just our policy. It’s the law. Because we’re a nonprofit, we’re not allowed to advocate for candidates or issues, so we don’t and never will.
6. What if I'm still not sure about Americans Elect?
Like most Americans, we believe our country is in some trouble. Americans Elect is a serious effort to help find a way out. We know it might not be perfect and we appreciate peoples’ concerns and suggestions. All we ask is this: In times of trouble, don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
If you’re still skeptical, that’s fine. We’re confident that as this process unfolds, our actions will show how seriously we take our stated mission, and you’ll be able to judge for yourself.
But please don't let your skepticism stop you from participating now.
Participation as a delegate in Americans Elect is a low risk, high reward proposition. You can still vote in your party’s primary and can still vote for a major party candidate in the general election in 2012. We’re really just asking for your time and consideration. In exchange, you gain unprecedented power in our political system.
If it turns out we’re a shady front group with an ulterior motive then when that becomes apparent, you can kick us to the curb and choose one of the major party candidates in November.
Of course that’s not who we are, and we’re confident that you’ll reach that conclusion on your own. When that happens, you and millions of other Americans will be glad you took this opportunity to be one of the innovators who restored competition and openness to American politics, and made your voices heard.
Sign up to take part in the Americans Elect process here.
This article was adapted for this FAQ from a piece by Americans Elect political director Darry Sragow. Additional information was added from other pages on AmericansElect.org.
