Christina Tobin
Encyclopedia
Christina Tobin is an American activist and leader in the election reform and voters’ rights movements. She is the founder and chair of The Free and Equal Elections Foundation, president and chief executive officer of Free and Equal Inc, and vice president of Taxpayers United of America. Tobin serves on the boards of Californians for Electoral Reform (CfER) and the Coalition for Free and Open Elections.
in Winona, Minnesota where she served as varsity tennis captain and volunteered for Habitat for Humanity. In 2004, she earned a bachelor’s degree in graphic design with a minor in business marketing.
, the Constitution Party
, the Republican Party
, the Democratic Party
, the Libertarian Party and the Socialist Equality Party
.
In the 2004 presidential election, Tobin defended 29,000 signatures in Illinois for Ralph Nader when he ran as an Independent. She also sued Democratic State Chair Michael Madigan for using his full-time state employees to knock Ralph Nader off the Illinois ballot.
For the November 2006 election, she successfully defended 39,000 signatures for Rich Whitney, the Green Party candidate for Illinois governor. The Green Party is now an established party for the first time in Illinois history.
The requirement for Republicans and Democrats to get on the ballot in Illinois is 5,000 signatures, while the requirement for third party and independent candidates is 25,000 signatures.
on the District of Columbia ballot and 45 state presidential ballots, more than any other third party or independent candidate. While coordinating the national ballot drive in 50 states, Tobin organized a successful petition drive in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New York.
laws created by the two-party system and coordinating nationwide ballot initiatives, referendums and recall efforts. It has become a major source of financial backing for efforts to improve ballot access and other election laws. Tobin serves as founder and chairman of the board.
Under Tobin’s leadership, the Free and Equal Elections Foundation organized the only minor party/independent 2008 presidential debate that was televised. The debate was between Ralph Nader
and Chuck Baldwin
at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC and was broadcast live nationwide on C-SPAN. The foundation also sponsored the only 2008 vice-presidential debate for minor party / independent candidates in Las Vegas, where Wayne Allyn Root
, Matt Gonzalez
and Darrell Castle
participated.
In Fall 2009, Free and Equal began organizing all-inclusive debates to give all candidates a chance to share their ideas with voters. Free and Equal held three gubernatorial debates in Illinois. Debates in Connecticut and California have also been organized for October 2010.
, which is used at a national level in 81 other countries. She plans to launch statewide proportional representation initiatives in 2012, first in California then nationwide. Tobin also supports instant-runoff voting
, the organization Fair Vote, Ballot Access News
, and Ballotpedia.
In 2010, Tobin led a statewide, all-partisan effort to defeat California's Proposition 14. The measure passed in June 2010 by a small margin. The anti-Proposition 14 coalition was out-funded 250 to 1, due to numerous sizable contributions made by insurance companies, banks, the California Chamber of Commerce, and Governor Schwarzenegger's California Dream Team. Tobin manages StopTopTwo.Org, a website originally dedicated to defeat Proposition 14; however, the site is transitioning to a national site to prevent Top Two from spreading nationwide.
candidate for the 2010 California Secretary of State
election. She formally announced her candidacy for California Secretary of State
on February 23, 2010. She was the only candidate seeking the Libertarian Party nomination. Richard Winger
of Ballot Access News
was her campaign manager.
The democratic incumbent, Debra Bowen
, ran for re-election. Damon Dunn
, a former Stanford football player who works in the real estate business, was the Republican Party candidate. Community volunteer Marylou Cabral was the candidate for the Peace and Freedom Party, civil rights attorney Ann Menasche was the Green Party candidate, and aviator Merton Short represented the Constitution Party. Orly Taitz
, an Orange County attorney known for filing lawsuits alleging that President Barack Obama does not meet the constitutional qualifications to be president, lost to Dunn in the June primary. Incumbent Bowen won the race in November 2010.
While Tobin's primary focus is electoral reform and voters' rights, she is an outspoken supporter of the anti-war and marijuana legalization movements and is involved with Antiwar.com
, Students for Sensible Drug Policy
(SSDP), Americans for Safe Access
, Marijuana Policy Project
(MPP), and Students for Liberty
.
Early life
Tobin was born in Pasadena, Texas, in 1981. She grew up in Texas and Illinois and graduated from Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Illinois. She attended Saint Mary’s UniversitySaint Mary's University of Minnesota
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota is a private, comprehensive, coeducational university with an undergraduate campus in the city of Winona, Minnesota, United States...
in Winona, Minnesota where she served as varsity tennis captain and volunteered for Habitat for Humanity. In 2004, she earned a bachelor’s degree in graphic design with a minor in business marketing.
Career
Tobin started her career as a non-partisan ballot access coordinator. An expert in defending signatures and coordinating petition drives, Tobin has helped gather and defend over 1 million signatures for Independents, the Green PartyGreen Party (United States)
The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties...
, the Constitution Party
Constitution Party (United States)
The Constitution Party is a paleoconservative political party in the United States. It was founded as the U.S. Taxpayers' Party by Howard Philips in 1991. Phillips was the party's candidate in the 1992, 1996 and 2000 presidential elections...
, the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, the Libertarian Party and the Socialist Equality Party
Socialist Equality Party (United States)
The Socialist Equality Party is a Trotskyist political party in the United States, one of several Socialist Equality Parties around the world affiliated to the International Committee of the Fourth International . The ICFI publishes daily news articles, perspectives and commentaries on the World...
.
Illinois campaigns
In the 1998 election for governor of Illinois, Tobin helped defend over 60,000 signatures for Libertarian candidate Jim Tobin. In 2002, she personally gathered over 5,000 signatures and successfully defended 55,000 signatures for Cal Skinner, who was running for governor, and Jim Tobin, who was running for lieutenant governor representing the Libertarian Party.In the 2004 presidential election, Tobin defended 29,000 signatures in Illinois for Ralph Nader when he ran as an Independent. She also sued Democratic State Chair Michael Madigan for using his full-time state employees to knock Ralph Nader off the Illinois ballot.
For the November 2006 election, she successfully defended 39,000 signatures for Rich Whitney, the Green Party candidate for Illinois governor. The Green Party is now an established party for the first time in Illinois history.
The requirement for Republicans and Democrats to get on the ballot in Illinois is 5,000 signatures, while the requirement for third party and independent candidates is 25,000 signatures.
Ralph Nader’s 2008 presidential campaign
In 2008, Tobin served as Ralph Nader’s national ballot access coordinator. She helped collect more than 500,000 signatures to put Ralph NaderRalph Nader
Ralph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government....
on the District of Columbia ballot and 45 state presidential ballots, more than any other third party or independent candidate. While coordinating the national ballot drive in 50 states, Tobin organized a successful petition drive in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New York.
Free and Equal, Inc.
In March 2009, Tobin founded Free and Equal, Inc., a non-partisan, full-service ballot access consulting and petitioning firm that specializes in independent and third party candidates. Free and Equal, Inc. does not endorse any candidates for office. She serves as president and chief executive officer.The Free and Equal Elections Foundation
In April 2009, Tobin founded the Free & Equal Elections Foundation, a coalition of political parties, independent citizens and civic organizations that promote free and equal elections in the United States. The foundation’s services include legal assistance to defeat the difficult ballot accessBallot access
Ballot access rules, called nomination rules outside the United States, regulate the conditions under which a candidate or political party is either entitled to stand for election or to appear on voters' ballots...
laws created by the two-party system and coordinating nationwide ballot initiatives, referendums and recall efforts. It has become a major source of financial backing for efforts to improve ballot access and other election laws. Tobin serves as founder and chairman of the board.
Under Tobin’s leadership, the Free and Equal Elections Foundation organized the only minor party/independent 2008 presidential debate that was televised. The debate was between Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government....
and Chuck Baldwin
Chuck Baldwin
Charles Obadiah "Chuck" Baldwin is an American politician and founder-pastor of Crossroad Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida. He was the presidential nominee of the Constitution Party for the 2008 U.S. presidential election and had previously been its nominee for U.S. vice president in 2004...
at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC and was broadcast live nationwide on C-SPAN. The foundation also sponsored the only 2008 vice-presidential debate for minor party / independent candidates in Las Vegas, where Wayne Allyn Root
Wayne Allyn Root
Wayne Allyn Root is an American politician, entrepreneur, television and radio personality, author and political commentator. He was the 2008 Libertarian Party vice-presidential nominee. In June 2009 Richard Winger wrote he was the front runner for the 2012 Libertarian Presidential nomination...
, Matt Gonzalez
Matt Gonzalez
Matthew Edward Gonzalez is an American politician, lawyer, and activist prominent in San Francisco politics. He currently serves as chief attorney in the San Francisco Public Defender's office....
and Darrell Castle
Darrell Castle
Darrell Castle is an American political figure, activist and attorney from Memphis, Tennessee, and was the vice presidential candidate of the Constitution Party in the 2008 United States presidential election.-Early life and education:...
participated.
In Fall 2009, Free and Equal began organizing all-inclusive debates to give all candidates a chance to share their ideas with voters. Free and Equal held three gubernatorial debates in Illinois. Debates in Connecticut and California have also been organized for October 2010.
Electoral Reform and Voters' Rights Initiatives
Tobin supports proportional representationProportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
, which is used at a national level in 81 other countries. She plans to launch statewide proportional representation initiatives in 2012, first in California then nationwide. Tobin also supports instant-runoff voting
Instant-runoff voting
Instant-runoff voting , also known as preferential voting, the alternative vote and ranked choice voting, is a voting system used to elect one winner. Voters rank candidates in order of preference, and their ballots are counted as one vote for their first choice candidate. If a candidate secures a...
, the organization Fair Vote, Ballot Access News
Ballot Access News
Ballot Access News is a U.S.-based monthly online newsletter edited and published by Richard Winger of California, an expert on ballot access law in the United States...
, and Ballotpedia.
In 2010, Tobin led a statewide, all-partisan effort to defeat California's Proposition 14. The measure passed in June 2010 by a small margin. The anti-Proposition 14 coalition was out-funded 250 to 1, due to numerous sizable contributions made by insurance companies, banks, the California Chamber of Commerce, and Governor Schwarzenegger's California Dream Team. Tobin manages StopTopTwo.Org, a website originally dedicated to defeat Proposition 14; however, the site is transitioning to a national site to prevent Top Two from spreading nationwide.
California Secretary of State Election
Tobin ran as the Libertarian PartyLibertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
candidate for the 2010 California Secretary of State
California Secretary of State
The Secretary of State of California is the chief elections officer of that U.S. state. The Secretary of State is also responsible for the California State Archives, as well as chartering corporations. The Secretary of State is elected to four year terms, concurrent with the other constitutional...
election. She formally announced her candidacy for California Secretary of State
California Secretary of State
The Secretary of State of California is the chief elections officer of that U.S. state. The Secretary of State is also responsible for the California State Archives, as well as chartering corporations. The Secretary of State is elected to four year terms, concurrent with the other constitutional...
on February 23, 2010. She was the only candidate seeking the Libertarian Party nomination. Richard Winger
Richard Winger
Richard Lee Winger is the publisher and editor of Ballot Access News. He sits on the editorial board of the Election Law Journal and has been accepted as an expert on election law in federal courts in nine states, including California...
of Ballot Access News
Ballot Access News
Ballot Access News is a U.S.-based monthly online newsletter edited and published by Richard Winger of California, an expert on ballot access law in the United States...
was her campaign manager.
The democratic incumbent, Debra Bowen
Debra Bowen
Debra Lynn Bowen , a member of the Democratic Party, has been Secretary of State of California since January 8, 2007. Before that she was a member of the California State Legislature from 1992 to 2006. In March 2008, she was given the Profile in Courage Award by the John F. Kennedy Presidential...
, ran for re-election. Damon Dunn
Damon Dunn
Damon Jerrel Dunn is a former American football player and Republican Party candidate for California Secretary of State in the 2010 election.- Early life :...
, a former Stanford football player who works in the real estate business, was the Republican Party candidate. Community volunteer Marylou Cabral was the candidate for the Peace and Freedom Party, civil rights attorney Ann Menasche was the Green Party candidate, and aviator Merton Short represented the Constitution Party. Orly Taitz
Orly Taitz
Orly Taitz is an American dentist, lawyer, former real estate agent, and leading figure in the "birther" movement, which challenges whether Barack Obama is a natural-born citizen eligible to serve as President of the United States...
, an Orange County attorney known for filing lawsuits alleging that President Barack Obama does not meet the constitutional qualifications to be president, lost to Dunn in the June primary. Incumbent Bowen won the race in November 2010.
While Tobin's primary focus is electoral reform and voters' rights, she is an outspoken supporter of the anti-war and marijuana legalization movements and is involved with Antiwar.com
Antiwar.com
Antiwar.com is a website devoted to opposing aggressive war, imperialism, and assaults on freedom associated with both. The editors describe their politics as libertarian. Their stated motiviation is, "to show how the imperialistic tendencies of the American government lead to a loss of civil...
, Students for Sensible Drug Policy
Students for Sensible Drug Policy
Students for Sensible Drug Policy is an international non-profit advocacy and education organization based in Washington D.C., with offices in both Washington D.C. and San Francisco, CA...
(SSDP), Americans for Safe Access
Americans for Safe Access
Americans for Safe Access is based in Oakland, California and is the largest member-based organization of patients, medical professionals, scientists and concerned citizens working to ensure safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic uses and research...
, Marijuana Policy Project
Marijuana Policy Project
The Marijuana Policy Project, or MPP, is the largest organization working solely on marijuana policy reform in the United States in terms of its budget, number of members, and staff...
(MPP), and Students for Liberty
Students For Liberty
Students For Liberty seeks to support student groups that hold a wide-range of philosophical beliefs that all share an underlying dedication to liberty with resources like leadership training, literature, grants, and speakers...
.