citizens' initiative and referendum
RESOURCES FOR ACTION
VOTE FOR MORE DEMOCRACY Internet Vote or Traditional Vote (detail below) NEW: view early resultsLEAFLET for distribution ON-LINE and OFF-LINE (detail below)
Proposal for citizens' initiative and referendum (and recall) IN A NUTSHELL (detail below)
Links, literature, information about I&R and direct democracy
You can join and support the campaign for
citizens' initiative and referendum
follow this link to the
ACTION PAGE
VOTE FOR MORE DEMOCRACY Vote yourself then help to motivate others via internet and on paper
Voting by "ordinary citizens" in a referendum "from below" may seem to be a waste of time. That ain't necessarily so. There are some good reasons to launch and to assist a pilot "referendum for the right to referendum". For example:
We aim to show that many people support the proposals to renovate our archaic method of governing ourselves. By publishing the results of the voting we hope to demonstrate that there is strong interest in direct democracy. Others will then be more likely to take up the ideas and help to spread them across the countries and to people of many different backgrounds.
The idea of introducing elements of direct democracy will be spread. People will talk about them. Ways to progress towards a practice of citizens' initiative and referendum will be found.
The potential of wide area computer networks to assist democracy will be tested and positive innovations in the application of these may result.
Our "print and distribute" offers (e.g. for the Voting Paper) will reach people who are not connected to Internet etc.. This will cross over the "digital divide" and be helpful for people who prefer an old-fashioned communication medium.
The experience gathered in this pilot referendum will be helpful for future initiatives and referenda started up by constituents, voters, citizens, PEOPLE!
Internet Vote: There are two WWW "polling stations" where you can do this. I prefer the one hosted by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, a free service. There you can read the introduction, vote for (and indeed against) the introduction of citizens' referendum in Britain and you can record your own comments on all of this. The second site is hosted by eGroups - it's not such a clear presentation, may be more difficult to navigate and carries some advertising. But it's also a free service.
PLEASE PLACE ONLY ONE VOTE PER PERSON, that is, if you vote at the Hungarian site do not vote at eGroups and vice versa.
Referendum for the RIGHT to referendum
(pilot run) CALL FOR VOTESYou may vote at the
POLLING STATION SZTAKI
or the
POLLING STATION eGROUPSEARLY REFERENDUM RESULTS
load down pdf file
Traditional Vote: DOWNLOAD the voting paper as print-ready pdf file.
Alternatively you can find a simple html version of the voting paper here, load it fully into a page of your browser and print it. It should fit one A4 (standard) paper page - if not please reduce or enlarge it before printing.
After printing you can photocopy the voting paper, approach people asking for their signature, distribute the voting paper to individuals and groups. Collect the signed voting papers, count and record the results, store the voting papers and send the result by e-mail to Referendum Votes.
You may be interested to design and print a professional-looking voting form, suitable for collecting signatures from numerous people on one sheet of paper.
LEAFLET for distribution ON-LINE and OFF-LINE
The "heart of the matter" presented in a way which may attract popular support. You can copy and paste the text into an e-mail message and send it to your friends and acquaintances, use it as your email sig, "post the notice" on your own website, think of other ways to get the direct democratic message out and about. Also you can PRINT OUT the leaflet and distribute at your workplace, in your town, district and pub.
DOWNLOAD the leaflet as a print-ready pdf file.
Proposal for citizens' initiative and referendum (and recall) IN A NUTSHELL
Provides a short introduction to methods of direct democracy which have been tested in other countries and which easily can be integrated into a parliamentary system of governance such as the British one.
SITE MAP