Voting for "Uncommitted"?

by Bill Smith, ARRA Editor: Voter who voted early in the Arkansas Preferential Presidential Primary found an unusual candidate option on their ballot. Others will see the option when they vote on Tuesday (Feb 5th). Regardless of political party (Democrat, Green or Republican) this candidate option appears on your ballot. Although this candidate option did not have to pay party filing fees, all political parties will have to consider the percentage of votes given to this option in their assignments of delegates to their party's national convention.

What is this candidate option? It is "uncommitted." Some of you may have seen the 1985 comedy film, Brewster's Millions starring Richard Pryor. The relevate point from the movie is that Brewster runs for Mayor of New York City while trowing his money at a protest campaign urging a vote for "None of the Above." Well, 23 years later, we have "Uncommitted" on the ballot.

Arkansas Law 7-8-201. Preferential elections required - Apportionment of delegates details:

(a)(1) Each political party in the state desiring to select delegates to attend a quadrennial national nominating convention of the party to select a nominee for the office of President of the United States shall hold a presidential preferential primary election in the state, and the delegates to the national party convention shall be apportioned to the presidential candidates whose names were on the ballot at the presidential preferential primary or to "uncommitted" in the proportion that the votes cast for each candidate or for "uncommitted" bear to the total votes cast at the election, rounded to the closest whole number.

"Uncommitted" made a major splash in this year's Democrat Michigan primary by pulling 40% , 236,723 votes, against Hillary Clinton. Although, there may not be any commercials for "Uncommitted"in Arkansas, at the right is a humorous video ad that ran in Michigan: So, this year, please get out and vote even if you are disappointed with your party's slate of candidates. Exercise your right to vote even if it is for "uncommitted."

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