Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Which Party?

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by

Dick Hall-Sizemore
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by Dick Hall-Sizemore

I was at the Virginia State Fair this morning.

The state Republican Party has this “booth.” It is a good idea. I don’t know if the Democrats have one because I did not walk around the whole area. The Republicans have a good location—right next to the main Commonwealth Pavilion, where there is a lot of foot traffic and there are bathrooms.

I was struck by how many yard signs did not identify the candidate as a Republican. A few did say “Conservative” but left off any party affiliation.

I chatted with the nice guy who was manning the booth. He is chairman of the Westmoreland County Republican Party. He said that he, too, had noticed the lack of party identification on the yard signs. He said he did not understand it and had no explanation for it.

Of the scores of yard signs displayed, only four candidates were willing to admit they were Republicans.

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42 responses to “Which Party?”

  1. vicnicholls Avatar
    vicnicholls

    If you buy your sign before you are officially the candidate, I wouldn’t put R on there. If there are several folks running (and this has happened), I would also distinguish myself as a conservative vs. R. Not everyone has the party approval.

    I think most progressives or D’s wouldn’t vote for a “conservative”. Independents would ask.

    1. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
      Dick Hall-Sizemore

      Because these signs were in the Republican Party booth or display, I’m pretty sure they had the party approval.

      1. LarrytheG Avatar
        LarrytheG

        Oh it can get worse:

        ” Unauthorized sample ballots cause confusion in Spotsylvania”

        ” Spotsylvania citizens who went to vote over the weekend may have received misleading sample ballots that were not authorized by either the county’s Republican or Democratic committees.

        Both the Republican and Democratic unauthorized sample ballots direct voters to choose candidates that were not endorsed by either committee.

        The ballots were paid for by “Friends of FVP.” FVP is an acronym used by the Fredericksburg Virginia Patriots, a conservative organization chaired by Nick Ignacio, a candidate for clerk of Circuit Court.

        Both the Republican and Democratic sample ballots printed by FVP direct voters to choose Ignacio over the incumbent clerk of Circuit Court, Christy Jett.

        Both ballots also direct voters to choose Steve Maxwell for sheriff over the incumbent, Roger Harris, and to choose Kirk Twigg and Chris Harris for School Board, over their opponents.”

        https://fredericksburg.com/news/local/government-politics/unauthorized-sample-ballots-cause-confusion-in-spotsylvania/article_1f5eb4b0-5bc2-11ee-aa06-ef18fc0534ad.html

        One GOP supporter opined that they were “campaign instruments”!

        1. Not Today Avatar
          Not Today

          I taught my oldest, literally last year, to evaluate the candidates SM sites and language for key words/indicators because THEY LIE. Kiddo filled out a sample ballot as we discussed the issues and people and what was read/observed. That level of investigation is frowned upon in school government classes these days. I wonder why.

          1. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            It’s always been a game of suppression and misdirection IMO.

          2. WayneS Avatar
            WayneS

            Misdirection, yes.
            Suppression, no.

            No one is forcing anyone to utilize the fake sample ballot, and no one is preventing anyone else from producing their own fake sample ballot.

      2. vicnicholls Avatar
        vicnicholls

        Not necessarily – as I said we had several folks that last year, it was more like a primary than an election.

  2. Matt Adams Avatar
    Matt Adams

    “Conservative” and “Progressive” have nothing to do with the two party paradigm. They are ideologies that span the two party system.

    Similar to this “observation” you have two Senators at the Federal level whom are “Independent”, yet cacus with the Democratic party.

  3. Ronnie Chappell Avatar
    Ronnie Chappell

    I’m surprised you were surprised. Most of the ads and mailers I see include no mention of party affiliation — whether the candidate is a Democrat or Republican. It makes sense from a marketing perspective. Why turn off potential voters with a label an independent voter might find off putting? The true believers know to which party their favored candidates belong. Why give the undecided any reason to dislike you?

    1. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
      Dick Hall-Sizemore

      I guess this shows how little attention I pay to election propaganda.

  4. Not Today Avatar
    Not Today

    LOL. Are you REALLY surprised? Really? Fortunately the election office lets us know before we cast our ballots. If we read.

    1. Stephen Haner Avatar
      Stephen Haner

      No party label on state and local ballots when I voted Thurdsay. Also the GA’s decision.

      1. LarrytheG Avatar
        LarrytheG

        https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/b301dc7fe8f621d999a6737aa1c05e1f737cad3bca0376f427f4d0b163d5de78.jpg

        1. CJBova Avatar
          CJBova

          White paper sample ballots are not legal.

          1. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            is there a cite?

            “Ryan Mehaffey, who is running unopposed for Spotsylvania County Commonwealth’s Attorney, drew attention to the unauthorized sample ballots in a post made Saturday to his campaign Facebook page.

            “The imitator ballots violate no law of which I am aware because they have who paid for them in fine print at the bottom, but this form of political speech is deeply misleading and I strongly condemn it,” Mehaffey wrote.

            He wrote that he spent time at the polls explaining the difference between authorized and unauthorized sample ballots, and that many voters were confused and upset after they realized what was going on.

            “The courts have determined, rightly, that free speech is paramount in determining truth,” Mehaffey wrote. “This method of determining truth is very tolerant of misleading speech. The fake ballot is political speech. The necessary counter speech is pointing out its deeply misleading character.”

            https://fredericksburg.com/news/local/government-politics/unauthorized-sample-ballots-cause-confusion-in-spotsylvania/article_1f5eb4b0-5bc2-11ee-aa06-ef18fc0534ad.html

          2. CJBova Avatar
            CJBova

            Code of Va 24.2-622

          3. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            thanks

          4. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            This looks like it applies to what the registrar can do, not a citizen…

          5. CJBova Avatar
            CJBova

            No. It applies to all unofficial sample ballots; i.e., not from electoral boards or registrars. Your comment said the one you posted was an unofficial sample ballot.

            § 24.2-622. Unofficial sample ballots.Sample
            ballots not authorized by electoral boards and provided by electoral boards or general registrars to precincts pursuant to § 24.2-641 are permitted to be printed and circulated, which includes publication in newspapers or on the Internet.

            Such sample ballots shall not be printed on white paper and shall include on their face the words “sample ballot” in a font size no smaller than 24 point.

            All sample ballots, excepting those official sample ballots authorized by electoral boards and provided by electoral boards or general registrars to precincts pursuant to § 24.2-641, are advertisements for purposes of Chapter 9.5 (§ 24.2-955
            et seq.). Voters may take sample ballots into the voting booth or enclosure, but shall not give, tender, or exhibit such sample ballot to any person, other than an assistant designated under § 24.2-649, while inside the polling place or within the prohibited area designated by § 24.2-604.

          6. CJBova Avatar
            CJBova

            No. It applies to all unofficial sample ballots; i.e., not from electoral boards or registrars. Your comment said the one you posted was an unofficial sample ballot.

            § 24.2-622. Unofficial sample ballots.Sample
            ballots not authorized by electoral boards and provided by electoral boards or general registrars to precincts pursuant to § 24.2-641 are permitted to be printed and circulated, which includes publication in newspapers or on the Internet.

            Such sample ballots shall not be printed on white paper and shall include on their face the words “sample ballot” in a font size no smaller than 24 point.

            All sample ballots, excepting those official sample ballots authorized by electoral boards and provided by electoral boards or general registrars to precincts pursuant to § 24.2-641, are advertisements for purposes of Chapter 9.5 (§ 24.2-955
            et seq.). Voters may take sample ballots into the voting booth or enclosure, but shall not give, tender, or exhibit such sample ballot to any person, other than an assistant designated under § 24.2-649, while inside the polling place or within the prohibited area designated by § 24.2-604.

          7. CJBova Avatar
            CJBova

            No. It applies to all unofficial sample ballots; i.e., not from electoral boards or registrars. Your comment said the one you posted was an unofficial sample ballot (“Ryan Mehaffey, who is running unopposed for Spotsylvania County Commonwealth’s Attorney, drew attention to the unauthorized sample ballots…).

            § 24.2-622. Unofficial sample ballots.Sample
            ballots not authorized by electoral boards and provided by electoral boards or general registrars to precincts pursuant to § 24.2-641 are permitted to be printed and circulated, which includes publication in newspapers or on the Internet.

            Such sample ballots shall not be printed on white paper and shall include on their face the words “sample ballot” in a font size no smaller than 24 point.

            All sample ballots, excepting those official sample ballots authorized by electoral boards and provided by electoral boards or general registrars to precincts pursuant to § 24.2-641, are advertisements for purposes of Chapter 9.5 (§ 24.2-955
            et seq.). Voters may take sample ballots into the voting booth or enclosure, but shall not give, tender, or exhibit such sample ballot to any person, other than an assistant designated under § 24.2-649, while inside the polling place or within the prohibited area designated by § 24.2-604.

          8. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            printed by citizens… with a note saying who funded it. Read the FLS article.

            “The courts have determined, rightly, that free speech is paramount in determining truth,” Mehaffey wrote. “This method of determining truth is very tolerant of misleading speech. The fake ballot is political speech. The necessary counter speech is pointing out its deeply misleading character.”

            There’s been no charges ….. or court challenges..

            re: ” Your comment said the one you posted was an unofficial sample ballot.”

            Confusion here.

            Didn’t I post a link to the article with an extract from the actual article?

          9. CJBova Avatar
            CJBova

            If it’s printed by citizens on white paper and doesn’t say sample ballot in 24 point type, it’sillegal. Having hwo paid for it listed just tells the SBE who to fine.
            I wasdn’t on the computer and went by what your post said.

          10. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            Yes. That’s what the law says and what the FLS said the citizens sample ballot did do and thus was legal.

            https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/84fd4aca50fc8ae73940efb8ceebb3770f62b38c0170223d55234d402abda0a6.jpg

          11. how_it_works Avatar
            how_it_works

            All the sample ballot PDFs I’ve seen have a white background, presumably because they are intended to be printed on colored paper with a black and white printer.

            If the PDF had a colored background, it’d probably look awful when printed on a black and white printer.

        2. how_it_works Avatar
          how_it_works

          SBE website used to have a place where you could easily find out what’s on the ballot where you live.

          Not anymore, apparently. Now they just give you a list of candidates everywhere in the state and you figure it out.

          1. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            The Spotsy Election office had the ballot. The problem for the State would be that, for instance, in Spotsy, there are different ballots depending on the precinct.

            https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/15e19f3c24bcfbfb84d24e9f097fa4dbeeb83eee44a26c02eff7d344a762e672.jpg

            https://www.spotsylvania.va.us/239/Office-of-Elections

          2. how_it_works Avatar
            how_it_works

            PWC still has the sample ballots for the June primary up. Good lord.

            https://www.pwcvotes.org/on-the-ballot

      2. Not Today Avatar
        Not Today

        Doesn’t need to be. The city web page (where I live) links to the Dept of Elections registry of candidates. It includes a listing of every candidate and their declared party affiliation. It’s public record…hence, the reading. I just opened the file in Excel and sorted according to my district. It’s helpful it’s included for voters, yes, but it doesn’t help the politicos, so no dice.

    2. Eric the half a troll Avatar
      Eric the half a troll

      Some races are explicitly not party-identifiable (like school board). That is why I always seek out and use a Democratic Party sample ballot when I vote.

      1. Not Today Avatar
        Not Today

        We have some independent candidates running in our nonpartisan races (still better than the mom’s for Illiberal democracy candidates IMO) so due diligence is required.

      2. LarrytheG Avatar
        LarrytheG

        If the electoral boards choose to not identify the party on the ballot, then yes, for sure, stop by the Democratic tent on the way in!

        They ARE identified on the ballot in Spotsylvania so it’s apparently an optional thing the local electoral board can choose to do (or not).

        The electoral boards are usually 3 members, with 2 being the party of the governor, I believe.

        Noticed that Not Today was said to be off topic when she was RESPONDING to posts! geeze!

  5. Nancy Naive Avatar
    Nancy Naive

    This is a phenomenon I began to notice a decade ago. There is, however, red and blue which tends to follow the norms.

    For me, party identification is really easy. I have a neighbor whose yard sprouts a life sized nativity scene every Xmas, and three 12’ crosses draped in purple every Easter. When Tim Kaine was governor, there was a 8×8 billboard with a screed on the “papist” devil eliminating the death penalty.

    Every election cycle he fills the yard with the largest signs available.

    I may not know for whom to vote, but I surely know for whom not to vote.

    1. Not Today Avatar
      Not Today

      SAME. My (not close, thankfully) neighbors are my barometers.

    2. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
      James Wyatt Whitehead

      I know what you mean, I do the same thing until I figure out what the local politicians are really after.

  6. Donald Smith Avatar
    Donald Smith

    “I was struck by how many yard signs did not identify the candidate as a Republican.”

    Perhaps they didn’t want their signs to be trashed or stolen. Or perhaps they knew that GOP signs are like red capes waved in the faces of progressive bulls…sorry, activists across the Old Dominion. No one wants their car keyed in the driveway.

  7. Stephen Haner Avatar
    Stephen Haner

    In campaign schools they taught the sign should focus on name and office. Name ID is the main goal. “Joe Doaks for Senate.” The instructor once said he had a fear he would see a billboard literally reading “Name” “Office”. But ttthen, it was also a staple piece of advice that billboards were useless. Swing voters rule in most key districts. The best signs of those you showed have a very clear name against the contrasting background.

  8. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
    James Wyatt Whitehead

    I had an interesting encounter with the candidates for Ward 5 Warrenton Town Council. Lavarnway has yard signs plastered everywhere. Endorsed by firefighters. The candidate and her husband are firefighters. Nice guy. Her husband came knocking on the door. I quizzed him pretty good and I think I surprised him with the issues the town is facing and how in the loop I was. This was on a Thursday. I told him I planned to early vote on a Friday. He showed up again Thursday night with a bunch of printed emails that painted his wife’s opponent as a far left blue dog. He would not let me have a copy. So I called Gagnon up and quizzed him pretty good. I felt like Gagnon, the guy with fewer yard signs was going to represent me the best and I voted for him. I shared with Gagnon the “jest” of the salacious printed emails. Poor man was astounded. I told him, “welcome to politics”. Neither candidate claimed allegiance to a party. But my questions easily revealed which team they were batting for.

  9. Michael Schmitt Avatar
    Michael Schmitt

    I’m from Virginia Beach, and have noticed this more and more over the years for local election candidates.

  10. Nathan Avatar
    Nathan

    Mr. Hall-Sizemore

    Have you been following recent court decisions?

    Appeals court upholds Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming medical care for minors

    Legal experts believe the issue will eventually land before the U.S. Supreme Court.

    https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/2023/09/29/tennessees-ban-on-transgender-health-care-for-minors-upheld-by-6th-circuit-court-of-appeals/71001579007/

    Appeals Court Blocks District Policy That Requires Students to ‘Respect’ Gender Identity

    https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/appeals-court-blocks-district-policy-that-requires-students-to-respect-gender-identity/2023/09

  11. walter smith Avatar
    walter smith

    It’s not just the Pubbies. It’s the Marxists Dems, too. Rodney Willett and Schuyler the Fakeenburg. And of course, the only issue that matters is the right to kill a baby. Pubbies think that’s bad. The monsters!
    It says an awful lot (and I mean in the truest sense of awful) that one has to put a limit on the concept of killing a baby. The people who want the “right” to kill a baby are the monsters. A compromise to shut up the baby-killers is necessary, but it still doesn’t make it right, and you zealots are the monsters. Deal with it.

  12. WayneS Avatar
    WayneS

    You should probably ask the democrats the same questions.

    A quick search for the official campaign yard signs for eight randomly chosen* democrat candidates for the house of delegates yielded the following results:

    Six (6) of the candidates’ signs did not include their part affiliation.

    One (1) candidate did identify his party affiliation on his yard signs.

    I was unable to find an image of one candidate’s official yard sign. I don’t know why, the others were quite easy to locate. I also cannot remember who it was. I neglected to write his name down.

    Larry Jackson (HD61) identified himself as a democrat on his yard sign.

    Mady Rodriguez (HD32), Esther Nizer (HD34), Patricia Quesenberry (HD47), Keith Braxton (HD60), Kimberley Adams (HD82), and Phil Hernandez (HD94) did not identify their party affiliation on their yard signs.

    I appears there are numerous candidates on both sides of the aisle seeking to avoid a party affiliation.

    *I went down the list of delegate races at Ballotpedia to pick the candidates’ names. I don’t have time to research every candidate for every race so I am not going to. Also, I discounted any party affiliation which may be noted or implied in the “fine print” on the signs. Yard signs are designed to be read from a distance without a telescope.

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