"The major parties' nominating process has become a joke, disrespected by party regulars and political opportunists alike," said Alan Shilepsky. "The rules we operate under now reward unethical strategies and put politics and politicians in further disrepute."
On a recent campaign swing through the area, Shilepsky said the election process a key issue and vowed to explore reforms if elected.
He said such reforms can't be achieved by Republican or Democratic candidates.
"I think you need a third party perspective to determine some of the changes that need to be made," said the candidate for secretary of state.
The 55-year-old Minneapolis resident said there are two problems with the current process.
First, he said candidates who file in a party primary aren't required to make any effort to win that party's support.
He points to current, multi-candidate party primaries as an example of campaign's being run with no or little party support. While he said he has no problem seeing primaries with candidates representing different sides of the same party, he pointed out that he objects to "opportunist filers."
"Many of these opportunist filers are appealing to last name tribalism and hurting our representative democracy," he said.
"When an anonymous Sharon Anderson takes out a Tom Neuvill or a Dick Franson, or Jennifer Mattson goes after Edwina Garcia, they are encouraging superficial voting, as well as undercutting political parties which - for better or worse - are the best tools we have for screening, recruiting and educating candidates."
Shilepsky's second objection to the current election process is what he calls "cowbird voting."
The process, he said, involves crossover voting, where members of one party vote in a rival party's primary to sabotage the outcome. Such saboteurs would vote for a candidate they are sure their party's candidate can beat.
Shilepsky said his main focus as secretary of state would be to explore possible changes to "fix" the system.
"The two-party system is broken and third parties are a reaction to its divisiveness and cynicism," he said. "We need the perspectives of third party members and independents to find solutions. I want to help create a multiparty system that works."
Part of his plan is to work to establish an instant runoff ballot for state elections.
Such a ballot would allow voters to rank their choices for a given office. This would allow voters to vote for a third party candidate without "throwing their vote away."
"Many people want to vote for a Barkley, Nader, Perot or Browne, but are afraid that it will help their least favorite candidate win," he said.
So, those voters end up voting for their second or third choice. Shilepsky said a runoff ballot would allow voters the chance to vote "their hopes, not their fears."
With new ideas and political philosophies, Shilepsky said he thinks many voters are turning to third party candidates and independents this election.
"I think this could be a third party year," he said.
Even if he fails to get the secretary of state seat, Shilepsky said he'd consider his campaign a success if his message of election reform is heard by the major parties.
"I find the best way to get your ideas out there is to be a candidate," he said.
As a founding member if Fair Vote Minnesota, he said he is working to make all residents and candidates aware of the need for change in the process.
"I'm pushing an issue and I think the time has come for it," he said.
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