December 12, 2004 – Volume 20, Number 8

This issue was originally printed on blue paper.

Table of Contents

  1. CALIFORNIA VOTERS KEEP MINOR PARTIES ON THE BALLOT, BUT WASHINGTON VOTERS THROW THEM OFF
  2. 8 MINOR PARTY LEGISLATORS WIN
  3. CALIFORNIA PROP. 60
  4. STUDY SAYS CONGRESS MAY GIVE D.C. ITS OWN VOTING MEMBER
  5. 2nd CIRCUIT CONFIRMS REGISTRATION WIN
  6. SAN DIEGO WRITE-INS
  7. GOOD BILLS COMING
  8. LIBERTARIAN OKLAHOMA CASE
  9. COBB-BADNARIK RECOUNT REQUESTS
  10. 2004 OCTOBER REGISTRATION TOTALS
  11. 2006 PETITIONING FOR STATEWIDE OFFICE
  12. 2004 PRESIDENTIAL VOTE
  13. TERRY BAUM SETS A RECORD
  14. LIBERTARIAN PARTY
  15. SOCIALIST WORKERS ON IN DELAWARE
  16. SUBSCRIBING TO BAN WITH PAYPAL


CALIFORNIA VOTERS KEEP MINOR PARTIES ON THE BALLOT, BUT WASHINGTON VOTERS THROW THEM OFF

On November 2, 2004, 54.0% of California voters rejected Prop. 62, which would have eliminated minor party members from the November ballot, in congressional and state elections. Also, California voters overwhelmingly passed Prop. 60, which improves ballot access for minor parties (see separate article).

Unfortunately, 59.8% of Washington state voters supported I-872, which removes minor party members from the November ballot, for all partisan office in the state except president.

I-872 in Washington, and Prop. 62 in California were very similar. They both said that all candidates run on a single primary ballot, and that all primary voters receive that same ballot. Then, only the top two vote-getters could appear on the November ballot. Based on past primary election data from blanket primary states, we know that this system gives only Democrats and Republicans a realistic chance to qualify for the November ballot.

In Washington, the legislature is free to revise or repeal initiatives passed by the voters. Since I-872 is internally contradictory, to the point of being unworkable, it is virtually certain that the 2005 legislative session will revise it. No one knows how it will be revised. Under the new law, on the one hand Washington state permits the statewide nominees of unqualified parties to qualify directly for the November ballot, with a petition of 1,000 signatures. On the other hand, the new initiative says that no one can get on the November ballot unless they place first or second in the September primary.

Washington voters didn’t think about the fact that I-872 keeps minor party members off the November ballot (for all office except president).

The campaign for I-872 never mentioned minor parties. Instead, it told voters that I-872 would virtually restore the old blanket primary, which was in effect 1934-2002 and which did not keep minor party nominees off the November ballot. The web site for the "yes" on I-872 even had the address blanketprimary.com. The old blanket primary put the top vote-getter from each party on the November ballot. The 9th circuit invalidated it, in September 2003. The legislature then created a classic open primary. In response, supporters of the old blanket primary put an initiative, I-872, on the ballot, to eliminate the open primary and impose the unfriendly "top-two" system.

The victory against Prop. 62 in California was a major triumph for that states’s minor parties. Prop. 62 was supported by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and four of the five largest newspapers in the state. The Pro-62 campaign received over $4,000,000 (mostly in contributions from a handful of wealthy businesses), whereas the campaign against it only raised $1,000,000. The Democratic and Republican Parties campaigned hard against Prop. 62, and the minor parties helped with that campaign. Minor party activists appeared at press conferences around the state against Prop. 62, helped with the ad campaign against Prop. 62, participated in editorial board meetings, and got the word out to their own members to vote "no" on 62.


8 MINOR PARTY WINS FOR LEGISLATURE

The Vermont Progressive Party won six seats in the Vermont House, the highest number of seats any minor party has won in any state’s legislature since 1944, when the Wisconsin Progressive Party elected more than that. See ProgressiveParty.org for more information.

The Constitution Party elected its first state legislator, Rick Jore, in Montana. The vote was Constitution 1,559; Democratic 1,557; Republican 1,108. Jore won with only 36.9% of the total vote.

The Green Party re-elected its Maine state legislator, John Eder, even though his district had been abolished in 2003 and he was forced to move. Voter sympathy for his plight actually helped him to defeat his Democratic opponent.


CALIFORNIA PROP. 60

California voters passed Prop. 60 by 67.5% on November 2. It adds this sentence to the state Constitution: "A political party that participated in a primary election for a partisan office has the right to participate in the general election for that office and shall not be denied the ability to place on the general election ballot the candidate who received, at the primary election, the highest vote among that party’s candidates."

Since 1926, California has barred anyone from winning the nomination of a party (at the primary) by write-in votes, unless the write-in candidate polled a specified minimum number of write-ins. This law, sec. 8605, currently requires about 100,000 write-ins for statewide office, 2,500 for State Senate, 2,000 for U.S. House, and 1,300 for Assembly.

Prop. 60, part of the state Constitution, clearly overrides sec. 8605, which is a mere statute. Therefore, it will now be easier for members of all political parties, especially minor parties, to nominate candidates by write-in votes at primaries. California’s Secretary of State is expected to prepare a legal opinion on the status of sec. 8605.


STUDY SAYS CONGRESS MAY GIVE D.C. ITS OWN VOTING MEMBER

On November 19, the Government Reform Committee of the U.S. House released a 24-page study, concluding that Congress has the authority to give the District of Columbia its own voting member in the U.S. House. The study is by Law Professor Viet Dinh. Congressman Tom Davis (R-Va.), chair of that committee, will introduce such a bill soon.


2nd CIRCUIT CONFIRMS REGISTRATION WIN

On November 17, the U.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd circuit, affirmed a 2003 decision of a U.S. District Court in Green Party of New York v State Board of Elections, no. 03-7679. That decision granted an injunction, requiring the state to let voters register as members of parties that are not qualified parties. The ruling applies to any group that put statewide nominees on the November election at the most recent election. The ruling so far has helped the Green and Libertarian Parties, although the Socialist Workers Party is now also eligible. The decision also says the state must make the list available to those parties.

The Brennan Center for Justice, which handled the lawsuit, hopes to sue Iowa on the same issue. However, technically, the New York case isn’t over; declaratory judgment still hasn’t been obtained. Iowa is the only state in the nation in which a voter may register as a Republican or as a Democrat, but may not register in any other party.


SAN DIEGO WRITE-INS

On November 2, Donna Frye, a write-in candidate for Mayor of San Diego (one of the 7 largest cities in the U.S.) polled at least 155,454 votes. Her ballot-listed opponents were incumbent Mayor Dick Murphy, who got 157,938; and another city councilmember, Ron Roberts, who got 141,874.

The city did not count write-ins for Frye if the voter did not "x" the box next to the name written in. The League of Women Voters sued the city to force it to count those votes, but a retired State Court judge from Tulare County refused to give any relief. League of Women Voters v McPherson, GIC 838890. The League won’t appeal, but Frye (real party in interest) has the right to appeal, and she still may.

Unfortunately, on November 29, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the same issue in Terry Baum’s case, Baum v Superior Court, no. 04-416.


GOOD BILLS COMING

Alaska: the Elections office will ask the legislature to pass a procedure for independent presidential candidates. In 1974 the U.S. Supreme Court said states must have such procedures, but Alaska and Arkansas still don’t have any, for president.

Arkansas: the ACLU will ask the Secretary of State to help repeal the law that makes it illegal for parties to circulate petitions in odd years. The ACLU won a lawsuit against Arkansas in 2001 on this subject, but the law has never been changed.

California: it is likely that the legislature will repeal the law that requires write-in voters to also "x" the box, next to the name written in.

Georgia: minor party activists will again seek ballot access improvements from the legislature, which now has a Republican majority for the first time since the 19th century. Contact Hugh Esco at 404-806-0480 or Walker Chandler.

Massachusetts: activists will ask the legislature to re-define "party", so that it is a group that has met the vote test at either of the last two elections. Such a bill would restore the Green and Libertarian Parties. Contact David Hudson at 508-481-8863.

Ohio: activists have accepted an invitation from the Secretary of State to suggest improvements in ballot access laws. Contact Robert Butler, 800-669-6542.

Oregon: activists will ask the legislature to restore the write-in declaration of candidacy procedures that were repealed in 1995. Contact Walt Brown (Socialist presidential candidate, whose own write-in vote for himself will never be counted under Oregon’s current law), 503-636-4150, or Greg Kafoury.

South Dakota: the Secretary of State will ask the legislature to amend the definition of "party" to include a group that has at least 1,000 registered members. Current law requires them to poll 2.5% for Governor.

Tennessee: activists will ask the legislature to permit partisan labels for candidates who use the independent candidate procedure. Contact Steve Trinward, 615-424-7740.

Texas: activists will ask for a lower number of signatures, a later deadline, and an end to the "primary screenout." Rock Howard, 512-458-9675.

Vermont: the Secretary of State will ask the legislature for a declaration of write-in candidacy procedure.


LIBERTARIAN OKLAHOMA CASE

The Oklahoma Libertarian Party case will be heard in the U.S. Supreme Court on January 19. Clingman v Beaver, 04-37. The issue is whether a party has a right to invite all registered voters into its primary. The lower court ruled that the Freedom of Association clause protects a party’s right to do this. The state appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that if the Libertarian Party does this, the major parties will be injured.

The states of South Dakota, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, West Virginia and Utah have filed an amicus brief against the Libertarian Party. The party hopes that the Reform Institute will file an amicus on its side. The Reform Institute, of Alexandria, Virginia, was founded by U.S. Senator John McCain, and it has intervened in other court cases in support of open primaries. Ironically, it intervened against the Arizona Libertarians when they were trying to close their primary.


COBB-BADNARIK RECOUNT REQUESTS

David Cobb and Michael Badnarik have been winning as much publicity since the election as they enjoyed before the election. This is due to their requests to recount the presidential votes in Ohio, Nevada and New Mexico. On November 30, the Kerry campaign intervened in court to help in the legal battle to save the Ohio recount request.


2004 OCTOBER REGISTRATION TOTALS

-

Dem.

Rep.

Indp, misc

Constitut.

Green

Libt

Reform

Nat Law

other

Alaska

71,506

118,008

252,645

5

4,470

8,200

58

7

20,040

Arizona

914,264

1,055,252

655,554

?

4,832

18,261

?

?

- -

Calif.

7,120,425

5,745,518

2,976,966

326,763

160,579

89,617

40,516

28,779

68,110

Colorado

947,866

1,125,374

1,028,928

170

5,279

6,078

337

534

- -

Conn.

670,356

438,554

878,148

245

2,045

789

19

?

2

Delaware

242,598

181,875

129,417

291

629

776

211

257

860

Dt. Col.

286,084

30,179

62,441

?

5,215

?

?

?

- -

Florida

4,261,249

3,892,492

2,120,201

585

6,646

13,806

3,872

?

2,920

Iowa

598,296

604,277

736,007

- -

77

- -

- -

- -

- -

Kansas

428,728

730,049

421,946

- -

- -

9,019

1,686

- -

- -

Kentucky

1,614,300

997,525

182,291

?

?

?

?

?

- -

Louis'na

1,593,488

678,275

578,616

50

898

1,432

2,779

23

- -

Maine

297,831

274,727

365,921

?

19,006

?

?

?

- -

Maryland

1,627,217

870,068

433,439

226

6,962

2,055

?

?

- -

Mass.

1,526,711

532,319

1,995,452

56

9,509

23,900

1,168

44

- -

Nebraska

396,767

575,781

177,961

4,575

398

4,717

?

?

- -

Nevada

429,808

434,239

164,504

31,517

3,356

6,240

356

1,081

- -

N. Hamp.

228,766

266,770

360,325

?

?

?

?

?

- -

N. Jersey

1,163,224

884,801

2,956,639

62

632

448

97

56

- -

N. Mex.

550,519

359,563

185,566

14

9,724

4,974

?

54

- -

N. York

5,534,574

3,209,082

2,415,999

?

41,222

362

?

?

635,829

No. Car.

2,583,087

1,905,446

1,021,875

?

?

12,831

?

?

- -

Okla.

1,101,072

816,933

225,253

?

?

689

31

?

- -

Oregon

791,412

721,070

481,504

2,580

13,977

16,236

?

?

285

Pennsyl.

3,966,293

3,386,434

913,719

?

15,525

34,003

?

?

- -

Rhode Is.

254,418

68,083

349,405

?

901

?

?

?

- -

So. Dak.

191,588

238,705

71,043

98

?

1,091

?

?

- -

Utah

95,928

413,219

743,694

284

1,081

2,556

161

87

202

W. Va.

680,464

349,193

138,400

?

?

?

?

?

637

Wyo.

62,385

146,328

23,355

?

?

328

?

?

- -

TOTAL

40,231,224

31,050,139

23,047,214

367,521

312,963

258,408

51,291

30,922

728,945

Percent

41.87%

32.32%

23.99%

.38%

.33%

.27%

.05%

.03%

.76%

The parties in the "Other" column are: in Alas., 15,581 Alaskan Indpc. and 4,459 Republican Moderate; Peace & Freedom in Cal.; Working Families in Ct; in Del., 433 Soc. Wkrs and 427 Indp. Party; in Fla., America First 305, Soc. Wkrs. 266, Socialist 363, Southern 484, Veterans 1,502; these N.Y. parties: Independence 323,063, Conservative 160,337, Liberal 80,344, Right to Life 46,026, Working Families 25,932; Socialist in Ore.; Soc. Wkrs. in Utah; Mountain in West Virginia.

A dash means that the voters are not permitted to register into a particular party. A question mark means that the state has not tabulated the number of registrants in a particular party.

Totals Jan. 2004 were: Dem. 37,301,951 (42.19%), Rep. 28,988,593 (32.79%), Indp. & misc. 20,471,250 (23.15%), Constitution 320,019 (.36%), Green 298,701 (.34%), Libertarian 235,521 (.27%), Reform 63,729 (.07%), Natural Law 39,670 (.04%), other parties 695,639 (.79%).

Totals October 2000 were: Dem. 38,529,264 (43.84%), Rep. 28,813,511 (32.78%), Indp. & misc. 18,999,126 (21.62%), Constitution 348,977 (.40%), Libertarian 224,713 (.26%), Green 193,332 (.22%), Reform 99,408 (.11%), Natural Law 61,405 (.07%), other parties 620,668 (.71%).

Totals October 1998 were: Dem. 37,425,660 (44.94%), Rep. 27,695,767 (33.26%), Indp. & misc. 16,804,922 (20.18%), Constitution (then called U.S. Taxpayers) 317,510 (.38%), Reform 245,831 (.30%), Libertarian 179,255 (.22%), Green 118,537 (.14%), Natural Law 70,032 (.08%), other parties 424,101 (.51%).

Totals October 1996 were: Dem. 36,946,324 (45.68%), Rep. 27,323,046 (33.78%), Indp. & misc. 15,227,612 (18.83%), Constitution 306,900 (.38%), Reform 207,933 (.26%), Libertarian 162,545 (.20%), Green 112,199 (.14%), Natural Law 85,853 (.11%), other parties 328,833 (.63%).


2006 PETITIONING FOR STATEWIDE OFFICE

State
Requirements
Signatures Collected
-
Full Party
Candidate

Llib't

Green
Consti.
Nat. Law.
Reform
Other Party On

Alabama

41,012

41,012

1,000

0

0

0

0

none

Alaska

(reg) 9,258

#3,086

8,200

in court

0

0

0

Ak Indpc

Ariz.

26,835

est. #20,000

already on

0

0

0

0

none

Arkansas

10,000

10,000

can’t start

can’t start

can’t start

can’t start

can’t start

none

Calif.

(reg) 77,389

165,573

already on

already on

already on

already on

40,516

Peace & Fr

Colorado

(reg) 1,000

#1,000

already on

already on

already on

534

337

none

Connecticut

no proc.

#7,500

already on

0

already on

0

0

none

Delaware

est. (reg) 280

est. 5,600

already on

already on

already on

257

211

SWP, Indp

D.C.

no proc.

est. #3,800

can't start

already on

can't start

can't start

can't start

none

Florida

be organized

103,013

already on

already on

already on

already on

already on

many

Georgia

42,676

#42,676

already on

can't start

can't start

can't start

can't start

none

Hawaii

648

25

already on

already on

0

already on

0

none

Idaho

11,968

5,984

already on

0

already on

already on

0

none

Illinois

no proc.

#25,000

can't start

can't start

can't start

can't start

can't start

none

Indiana

no proc.

#29,553

already on

0

0

0

0

none

Iowa

no proc.

#1,500

0

0

0

0

0

none

Kansas

16,477

5,000

already on

0

0

0

already on

none

Kentucky

no proc.

#5,000

0

0

0

0

0

none

La.

(reg) 1,000

pay fee

already on

898

50

23

already on

none

Maine

24,798

#4,000

0

already on

0

0

0

none

Maryland

10,000

est. 29,400

already on

already on

already on

0

0

none

Mass.

est. (reg) 41,000

#10,000

23,900

9,509

56

44

1,168

none

Michigan

31,731

31,731

already on

already on

already on

already on

0

none

Minnesota

141,420

#2,000

0

0

0

0

0

Indpnc

Mississippi

be organized

1,000

already on

already on

already on

already on

already on

Amer First

Missouri

10,000

10,000

already on

0

0

0

0

none

Montana

5,000

#5,000

already on

0

0

0

0

none

Nebraska

4,735

2,500

0

0

0

0

0

none

Nevada

7,915

7,915

already on

0

already on

0

0

none

New Hamp.

20,299

#3,000

0

0

0

0

0

none

New Jersey

no proc.

#800

0

0

0

0

0

none

New Mex.

3,782

14,079

0

already on

already on

0

0

none

New York

no proc.

#15,000

can't start

can't start

can't start

can't start

can't start

Indp,C,WF

No. Car.

69,734

law is void

9,500

8,900

0

0

0

none

No. Dakota

7,000

4,000

0

0

0

0

0

none

Ohio

54,818

5,000

in court

0

0

0

0

none

Oklahoma

73,188

pay fee

in court

0

0

0

0

none

Oregon

18,381

18,356

already on

already on

already on

0

0

none

Penn.

no proc.

est. #24,000

can't start

can't start

can't start

can't start

can't start

none

Rhode Isl.

21,857

#1,000

can't start

can’t start

can't start

can't start

can't start

none

So. Caro.

10,000

10,000

already on

already on

already on

0

already on

Unit Cit

So. Dakota

8,364

#3,346

already on

0

already on

0

0

none

Tennessee

41,314

25

0

0

0

0

0

none

Texas

45,253

45,253

already on

can't start

can't start

can't start

can't start

none

Utah

2,000

#1,000

already on

0

0

0

0

Personl Ch

Vermont

be organized

#1,000

already on

already on

0

0

0

LbU, Marij

Virginia

no proc.

#10,000

can't start

can't start

can't start

can't start

can't start

none

Washington

no proc.

law unclear

can’t start

can't start

can't start

can't start

can't start

none

West Va.

no proc.

#14,686

0

0

0

0

0

Mountain

Wisconsin

10,000

#2,000

already on

already on

already on

0

0

none

Wyoming

4,774

4,774

already on

0

0

0

0

none

TOTAL STATES ON
26
15
15
6
5
-

Florida has 24 qualified minor parties, most of which have never run any candidates for any office.


2004 PRESIDENTIAL VOTE

Bush

Kerry

Nader

Badnarik

Peroutka

Cobb

S.W.P.

Brown

Vanauken

Alabama

1,176,394

693,933

6,701

3,512

1,994

?

?

?

?

Alaska

190,889

111,025

5,069

1,675

2,092

1,058

?

?

?

Arizona

1,104,294

893,524

2,773

11,856

?

138

?

?

?

Arkansas

572,898

469,953

6,171

2,352

2,083

1,488

?

?

?

Calif.

5,509,826

6,745,485

19,218

50,165

26,645

40,771

?

?

?

Colorado

1,101,255

1,001,732

12,718

7,664

2,562

1,591

241

216

329

Conn.

693,826

857,488

12,969

3,367

1,543

9,564

12

?

?

Del.

171,660

200,152

2,153

586

289

250

tba

100

tba

D.C.

21,256

202,970

1,485

502

?

737

130

?

?

Florida

3,964,522

3,583,544

32,971

11,996

6,626

3,917

2,732

3,502

0

Georgia

1,914,254

1,366,149

2,231

18,387

580

228

?

?

?

Hawaii

194,191

231,708

0

1,377

0

1,737

0

0

0

Idaho

409,235

181,098

1,115

3,844

3,084

58

?

3

?

Illinois

2,346,608

2,891,989

3,559

32,452

435

240

?

?

?

Indiana

1,479,438

969,011

1,328

18,058

?

102

?

22

?

Iowa

751,957

741,898

5,973

2,992

1,304

1,141

373

?

176

Kansas

736,456

434,993

9,348

4,013

2,899

33

?

4

5

Kentucky

1,069,439

712,733

8,856

2,619

2,213

?

?

13

0

Louisiana

1,102,169

820,299

7,032

2,781

5,203

1,276

985

1,795

0

Maine

330,201

396,842

8,069

1,965

735

2,936

?

?

4

Maryland

1,024,703

1,334,493

11,854

6,094

3,421

3,632

?

?

?

Mass.

1,071,109

1,803,800

4,806

15,022

?

10,623

?

?

?

Michigan

2,313,746

2,479,183

24,035

10,552

4,980

5,325

?

1,431

?

Minn.

1,346,695

1,445,014

18,683

4,639

3,074

4,408

416

2

539

Miss.

672,660

457,766

3,175

1,793

1,758

1,073

1,599

?

?

Missouri

1,455,713

1,259,171

1,294

9,831

5,355

?

?

?

?

Montana

266,063

173,710

6,168

1,733

1,764

996

?

2

?

Nebraska

512,814

254,328

5,698

2,041

1,314

978

82

?

?

Nevada

418,690

397,190

4,838

3,176

1,152

853

0

0

0

N. Hamp.

331,237

340,511

4,479

395

tba

tba

tba

tba

tba

N. Jersey

1,670,003

1,911,430

19,418

4,514

2,750

1,807

530

664

575

N. Mex.

376,930

370,942

4,053

2,382

771

1,226

0

0

0

N. York

2,962,567

4,314,280

99,873

11,607

207

87

2,405

?

2

No. Car.

1,961,166

1,525,849

1,805

11,731

?

108

?

348

?

No. Dak.

196,651

111,052

3,756

851

514

?

?

?

?

Ohio

2,858,727

2,739,952

?

14,695

11,907

186

22

?

?

Okla.

959,792

503,966

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Oregon

866,831

943,163

?

7,260

5,257

5,315

?

?

?

Penn.

2,793,847

2,938,095

2,656

21,185

6,318

6,319

?

?

?

R.I.

169,046

259,760

4,651

907

339

1,333

tba

tba

tba

S.Car.

937,974

661,699

5,520

3,608

5,317

1,488

0

2,124

0

S.Dak.

232,584

149,244

4,320

964

1,103

0

0

0

0

Tenn.

1,384,375

1,036,477

8,992

4,866

2,570

33

?

6

?

Texas

4,526,917

2,832,704

9,153

38,787

1,626

1,014

?

111

?

Utah

663,742

241,199

11,305

3,375

6,841

39

393

?

?

Vermont

121,180

184,067

4,494

1,102

tba

tba

244

tba

tba

Virginia

1,716,959

1,454,742

2,393

11,032

10,161

104

?

23

?

Wash.

1,304,894

1,510,201

23,283

11,955

3,922

2,974

547

?

231

W.Va.

423,778

326,541

4,063

1,405

82

5

?

?

?

Wisc.

1,478,120

1,489,504

16,390

6,464

871

2,661

411

471

?

Wyoming

167,629

70,776

2,741

1,171

631

?

?

?

?

Guam

21,490

11,781

196

67

0

0

0

0

0

TOTAL

62,049,400

59,039,116

463,831

397,367

144,292

119,852

11,122

10,834

1,861

Almost one-third of the states still don’t have official totals, so the numbers will continue to change. "Tba" means "to be announced". "?" means the candidate may have received write-in votes in that state, but no one will ever know how many. This is because the candidate didn’t file for write-in status, or it means the state permits write-ins but won’t tally them. "0" means the candidate wasn’t on the ballot and no write-ins were allowed for president this year (for instance, Florida permits write-ins, but since no one filed as a write-in presidential candidate this year, Florida didn’t print write-in space on the ballot for president). The chart prints the name of presidential candidates. In the case of the Socialist Workers Party, the chart just says "SWP" (since that party had two presidential candidates this year).

Candidates who were on the ballot in at least one state, but who aren’t on the chart, are: Peltier, 27,607 in Cal; Parker, 49 in Ca, 2 in Oh., 253 in R.I., 265 in Vt., 1,077 in Wa, total 1,644; Amondson, 378 in Co. & 1,566 in La., total 1,946; Harens, 2,387 in Mn.; Jay, 946 in Ut.; Andress, 804 in Co.; Dodge, 140 in Co.


TERRY BAUM SETS A RECORD

Terry Baum, Green party nominee for U.S. House in California’s 8th district, polled approximately 6,000 write-in votes, or 2.2% of the total vote cast. This is the best percentage ever for a minor party write-in candidate for U.S. House. The previous record had been 2.1% for a Prohibition Party write-in candidate in California’s 15th district in 1932. That candidate, Errol Shour, polled 2.1%.


LIBERTARIAN PARTY

Although the Libertarian Party didn’t elect any state legislators, it did win an important partisan office in Georgia. Ben Brandon was elected County Executive of Dade County, Georgia. Other than George Wallace carrying the state in 1968, this is almost surely the first time a minor party has won a partisan election in Georgia since 1898, when the Peoples Party won some seats in the state legislature. Nationwide, the Libertarian candidates for U.S. House polled over 1,000,000 votes. The party has met this benchmark for three elections in a row now. The next issue of B.A.N. will carry all minor party results for Congress and Governor, and also a list of local office wins.


SOCIALIST WORKERS ON IN DELAWARE

The Socialist Workers Party is a qualified party in Delaware, for the first time in history. It did this by registering more than 259 members (as shown on voter registration records). This is the first time in history that any party with "Socialist" or "Communist" in its name has qualified on the basis of its voter registration strength. The party did not gain these registrants in time to appear on this year’s ballot, but it will appear in future elections, assuming its registrants remain registered with the party.


SUBSCRIBING TO BAN WITH PAYPAL

If you use Paypal, you can subscribe to B.A.N., or renew, with Paypal. If you use a credit card in connection with Paypal, use ban@richardwinger.com. If you don’t use a credit card in conjunction with Paypal, use sub@richardwinger.com.

Ballot Access News. is published by and copyright by Richard Winger. Note: subscriptions are available!


Go back to the index.
Copyright © 2004 Ballot Access News