PRESS
RELEASES from Americans Elect
Contact:
Ileana Wachtel
National Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
Americans Elect Opens
Candidate Page for Business: Revolutionizing The
Way We Pick
Our President
Candidates
can
announce
plans
to run & every American can now support
candidates of their choice
WASHINGTON, D.C., FEBRUARY 2, 2012 - Americans Elect today unveils
the
website capability for candidates to announce their intention to seek
the presidential nomination and for any registered voter to begin a
draft movement for a candidate they choose at AmericansElect.org. Just
as the two-party selection process for presidential nominees comes to a
close, Americans Elect is opening for business with the first-ever
national online primary to pick a president.
Americans Elect is putting America's choice for president on the ballot
nationwide, and the Americans Elect presidential nominee will be
required to pick a running mate from a different political party,
setting the stage for a presidential ticket willing to reach across the
aisle to solve the nation's problems rather than advancing the partisan
divide that cripples decision-making in Washington.
The candidate page enables Americans Elect delegates – now numbering
more than 360,000 – to bypass the two-party primary process, identify
and draft candidates who share their concerns, and have their voices
heard regardless of where they live. Any registered voter can become a
delegate by signing up at AmericansElect.org.
“We’ve seen time and again that the current two-party process rewards
the most extreme and negative voices in our nation while the majority
of Americans are not being heard,” said Elliot Ackerman, COO of
Americans Elect. “As we begin the candidate nomination phase, Americans
Elect is giving a voice to all those who want a say in who our leaders
should be and how we select them.”
In the 72 hours since the candidate page was launched in beta, 52
candidates spanning the political spectrum have been drafted by
Americans Elect delegates. So far Chuck Hagel, Michael Bloomberg, Jon
Huntsman, Buddy Roemer, Ron Paul, Gary Johnson, Warren Buffett, Rahm
Emanuel and Condoleezza Rice, among others, have all been drafted.
Individuals who automatically qualify for the Americans Elect
nomination must have a similar level of experience as past presidents
or current public figures and win support from 1,000 delegates in each
of 10 different states. Those who contingently qualify must draw
support from 5,000 delegates in each of 10 different states.
In the spring, Americans Elect delegates will begin three rounds of
online voting that will winnow the field to six candidates, one of whom
will become the nominee in June and appear on the general election
ballot in November nationwide.
“This is a moment in time when the country needs more options not
fewer. Americans Elect will draw people back to the electoral process –
via the Internet – and not push them away or limit their impact or
involvement,” said Joshua Levine, CTO of Americans Elect. “With
50-state ballot access and a restless electorate, Americans Elect is
the serious third choice on the ballot this November, opening up the
process up and creating a renewal in our democratic system that allows
greater participation."
For more information about or to view the candidate page go to
AmericansElect.org/candidates.
###
Contact: Padmananda
Rama
Deputy Press Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE