These Celebrities Accidentally Registered As Members Of A Fringe Political Party

It's not just Donald Trump's children who are confused by voter-registration policies.

A Los Angeles Times investigation found that a number of California residents, including several celebrities, are registered members of the American Independent Party (AIP), an ultraconservative group with a heavily God-centric platform. The celebrities were quick to tell the Times that they didn't actually mean to join the fringe party.

Emma Stone, Patrick Schwarzenegger, and boxer Sugar Ray Leonard said they believed they were registering without party affiliations — i.e., as independent voters — rather than as members of the AIP, the Times noted. In California, independent voters are officially registered as "no party preference." Because the state's six active political parties are listed in alphabetical order on the voter registration form, the American Independent Party box is at the top. A poll conducted by the Times found that up to 73% of AIP voters surveyed didn't realize they were affiliated with the party.

Spokespeople for the three celebrities told the Times they plan to change their registrations now that they are aware of the error.

Kaley Cuoco, who the Times also listed as an accidental member of the AIP, told the paper in a statement, "The views of this party do not accurately reflect my personal beliefs, and I am not affiliated with any political party."

The news comes amid nationwide complaints about various states' voter restrictions. In New York, more than 200 voters are filing a lawsuit against the state's closed-party primary system. The rules have angered independent voters, who must register as members of a political party in order to vote in closed primaries.



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