BOSTON - Voters
frequently complain elections boil down to a choice between the lesser of two
evils, but William White believes there may be a third-way: a ballot allowing a
choice of "none of the above."
The retired systems analyst from Dennis testified Wednesday on behalf of a
bill that would allow voters to reject a field of candidates and force a new
election. Under the measure, if "none of the above" garnered more voters than
any particular candidate, a follow-up election would be ordered within 80 days.
"The fundamental idea is that all legitimate consent requires the ability to
withhold consent," White said after his brief appearance at a Statehouse hearing
considering an array of proposed election matters. "Putting ’none of the
above’ on a ballot would allow voters to withhold their consent."
White, who currently is registered as an "unenrolled" voter, said the
measure wasn’t aimed at any particular party or candidate, but the frustration
he often has felt as he entered a voting booth. He also said it would be a way
of empowering the average voter instead of the major political parties that
field candidates.
Currently, only Nevada offers a "none of the above" option, but it is
nonbinding and does not overrule the top vote-getter.
White’s bill is co-sponsored by his local legislators, Sen. Robert O’Leary,
D-Barnstable, and Rep. Cleon Turner, D-Dennis, but it received a muted response
from the Joint Committee on Election Laws during its hearing Wednesday.
After a handful of questions, committee members moved onto the other 23
items on their agenda. It was unclear if they would vote on White’s bill.
