Frequently Asked Questions

All US States have open general elections so electors can vote for any candidate, regardless of political affiliation, in the general election. Many States also have open primaries. In Florida, the primary is closed so electors may not vote in the primaries of other parties, but this is not important because in the vast majority of elections, candidates go unchallenged; when they are not unchallenged, there are often multiple challengers, which splits the vote and just about guarantees the victory of the incumbent. When there is only one challenger, there is a high likelihood that the difference between the candidates is minimal, and if there is a significant difference, those in the Party who sympathize with the incumbent can run a third or fourth candidate to split the vote and nearly guarantee an incumbent victory. Instances where a major party primary candidate is both viable and significantly differentiated from another are exceedingly rare if not unprecedented. The fact is that there are many tools and resources at the disposal of Party officials at all levels of government in order to ensure that the Party stays the course set for it by those at the top of the Party's order.

Especially in the beginning of the Party's life, not every office up for election will have a Jeffersonian option. In these cases, Jeffersonians are free to vote as they will, although the Party at the State or County level may make endorsements of candidates if it so chooses. When it comes to running candidates, the Party will focus on starting at the bottom and working its way up, while also, of course, taking advantage of opportunities as they may arise. This means the Party will look to run candidates in elections where they can either win, gain notoriety and experience (in low stakes elections), or exercise leverage in order to negotiate concessions from opponents. For example, if a Jeffersonian candidate runs for County Commissioner in a purple County, and the Jeffersonian does not have enough support to win, but enough support to split the vote and alter the election's outcome, then the Jeffersonian candidate and/or Jeffersonian Party officials can negotiate concessions from one of the candidates and/or their Party. If the negotiations are successful, the Jeffersonian candidate can then drop out of the race with the won concession(s), and the Jeffersonian Executive Committee will have the option of endorsing one candidate or another in races in which there is no Jeffersonian candidate.

Your party affiliation will not affect your general election ballot or your ability to choose who you vote for on your ballot. Your primary ballot will be specifically Jeffersonian. For a detailed address of concerns about lack of access to major party primaries, see the FAQ question, "Isn't going third party a sure way to lose?"

Send us an email (JFP@JeffersonianPartyFL.com) with your name, number, State, and County. If you have any potentially useful political background or skills, or if you are familiar with parliamentary procedure, let us know. Specifically, if you have a legal background and/or familiarity with election law and/or campaign finance law, especially in your State, then let us know. If you don’t have a political background, but are willing to get involved and work hard, then that is acceptable. We need lots and lots of people; don’t assume you can’t be helpful if you are willing to do the work and improve where you may be lacking. We may be able to consult and/or train where needed. The basic roles that need to be filled in each State are a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. If you think you may be a good fit for any of those roles, let us know.

Parliamentary procedure is the method of conducting political meetings in America. This short video below will give you a brief introduction to the concept:

The book, which can be read free online, “Robert’s Rules of Order” goes into great detail on nuances of parliamentary procedure. These rules facilitate the orderly conduct of important and potentially large meetings that shape the direction of the Jeffersonian Party, and ultimately, the whole Country.

The Jeffersonian Party is decentralized. We only organize at the level of the State because the federal government, which has trampled the Constitution, is the problem and we want States to solve it. Organizing this way gives us protection from potential federal government persecution because we do not have to register with the FEC (Federal Elections Commission) and we are exempt from certain reporting requirements to the IRS. The affairs of the Jeffersonian Party are internal affairs of the States in which the Party is organized so the federal government has no business getting involved in our affairs.

Many of the fixtures and practices of today's federal government are blatantly, egregiously unconstitutional and have been for many decades. John Adams said that, 

"Cities may be rebuilt, and a People reduced to Poverty, may acquire fresh Property: But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty once lost is lost forever. When the People once surrendered their share in the Legislature, and their Right of defending the Limitations upon the Government, and of resisting every Encroachment upon them, they can never regain it."

He did not mean that we have no hope, but that the way out is through a new system of government. The best way to accomplish this is for the States to ratify a new Constitution by State convention, as is American tradition. See the Party platform for what this new Constitution could look like.