2008 PETITIONING FOR PRESIDENT
(updated October 7, 2008)
TOTAL STATES ON THE BALLOT
Libertarian Party
Green Party
Constitution Party
Nader (Indep.)
45
32
37
46
 
     

Hopes for Oklahoma Bill Dim, but Oklahoma Lawsuit Moves Ahead

March 9th, 2005

HB 1429, the Oklahoma ballot access reform bill, seems dead for this year. The House Rules Committee on March 8 again refused to hear the bill, so it cannot pass this year, although it is technically still alive and could theoreticallly pass next year. It is also possible that the contents of the bill could be amended into another election law bill.

In the meantime, the Oklahoma Libertarian Party lawsuit against the ballot access laws for parties is moving ahead. A status conference was held last week, and deadlines have been set for the introduction of evidence. A trial will be held late this year.



China Has Legal Political Parties Other Than the Communist Party

March 9th, 2005

An Associated Press story of March 8, about political parties in China other than the Communist Party, can be read at this link. China permits certain government-approved political parties (other than the Communist Party) to exist. However, they are not permitted to carry on election campaigns.

New York Times Editorializes for Optical-Scan, Against Touch-Screen Vote Machines

March 9th, 2005

This morning, the New York Times editorialized that New York state should buy optical-scan vote-counting machines, not touch-screen voting machines. Here is a link to the editorial, which is markedly clear and persuasive.

Arizona Bill Passes Senate

March 8th, 2005

On March 8, Arizona SB 1205 passed the State Senate unanimously. Among other things, it lowers the number of signatures needed for a new party to get on the ballot in gubernatorial years, from about 26,000 signatures, to about 16,000. However, it does not make access any easier in presidential election years. The bill’s progress so far is due to good lobbying by the Constitution Party.

Kentucky Bill Passes Legislature

March 8th, 2005

On March 4, Kentucky HB 141 passed the Senate. HB 141 is the first ballot access improvement bill to pass out of a legislature, so far in 2005. It removes the restriction on petitioning for president in the odd year before an election. It also removes the requirement that minor party and independent candidates for president file any declaration of candidacy in advance of turning in signatures. The bill was backed by the Secretary of State and passed in both houses unanimously.

Connecticut Bill Has Hearing on March 7

March 5th, 2005

Connecticut’s Government Administration and Elections Committee (which serves both houses of the legislature) will hear SB 1233 on March 7. The bill creates a petition procedure by which a group can transform itself into a qualified minor party.

If the bill were enacted, any group that circulated a petition signed by 1% of the last vote cast would become a qualified minor party. It could nominate by convention for any or all partisan offices in the state. The Working Families Party initiated this bill.

Connecticut is now one of only 12 states which lacks any procedure for a group to become a qualified party, in advance of any particular election.

Prohibition Party Now a Qualified Party in Florida

March 4th, 2005

Last month, the Prohibition Party became ballot-qualified in Florida. This is the first time the party has been ballot-qualified in any state, since it lost its qualified status in New Mexico in 1992. It’s very easy for a party to become qualified in Florida; it merely submits a list of its state officers. The only hurdle that ballot-qualified parties have in Florida is that each nominee must pay a very high filing fee; however there is no fee to run for president.

Nebraska Legislature Aids Ex-Felon Voting

March 4th, 2005

On March 3, the Nebraska legislature passed LB53, which lets all ex-felons register to vote, two years after they have completed their sentence. Previously they could not register unless they received a pardon.

Helpful Bills Introduced in Massachusetts and Texas

March 3rd, 2005

In Massachusetts, H77 reduces the number of signatures for minor party and independent presidential candidates from 10,000 to 5,000 signatures; it also eases the burden on submitting such petitions. Also in Massachusetts, H119 makes it easier for a party to remain on the ballot. Currently it must poll 3% for a statewide office in every election. The bill would provide that it only needs to fulfil this vote test every other election. If passed, it would restore the Green and Libertarian Parties to the Massachusetts ballot.

In Texas, HB 1721 would let primary voters sign the petition of a new party or independent candidate. Texas is the only state that won’t let primary voters sign a petition for a new party.

Burlington, Vermont Voters Pass IRV

March 2nd, 2005

On March 1, the voters of Burlington, Vermont passed Instant-Runoff Voting for future mayoral elections in that city, by 62% to 38%. The legislature must approve this charter amendment, but it is very likely that it will do so. Burlington has partisan mayoral elections.

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Welcome to the OFFICIAL online home of Ballot Access News, a non-partisan newsletter reporting on the trials and tribulations of folks trying to put candidates on the ballot in the United States of America. There are many surprisingly restrictive ballot access laws in this country, which the average voter has no knowledge or conception of; part of our purpose here (besides reporting on progress made) is to report on these restrictive ballot access laws so that more people are aware of them. I hope you find these materials interesting and exciting; if you do, you can support the newsletter by subscribing!

Ballot Access News is edited and published by Richard Winger, the nation's leading expert on ballot access legal issues.

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  • Politics, Soviet-style by S. Philip Gordon, regarding recent ballot access issues in Georgia – the US state, not the Russian territority!

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Other information:

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  • Here's information on Presidential Ballot Access as well as the vote totals of recent Presidential elections.

  • Here are some other sites which may also be of interest:

    Project Vote-Smart

    Project Vote Smart is a citizens' organization dedicated to serving all Americans with accurate and unbiased information for electoral decision-making. It was inaugerated in 1992 by former US Presidents Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, and other leaders. Its webpage offers information about all ballot-listed candidates for all federal and state office.
    [Added:040729]

    The ACE Project
    An interesting site concerning itself with the "Administration and Cost of Elections", including issues of fairness and regulatory approaches in various countries. They seem to be almost blind to the ways that third parties in the USA are harmed by campaign finance rules crafted for the problems characteristic of the larger parties, or the ways that third parties would be disenfranchised by various proposed rules, but this is nevertheless a useful resource, particularly for the international comparisons it makes.
    [Added:001206]

    "Unofficial" B.A.N. Page

    At first, it looks like there's not much here. But then you follow the "Charts" link, and click on one of the listed candidates, and you'll get some truly wonderful nationwide maps of voting patterns.
    [Checked:991014]

    ThirdPartyNews.net

    A site that covers news about minor parties.
    [Checked:060414]

    Third Party Central

    Collects lots of good information and links relating to various third parties into one convenient location. Nice set of writings on why one should vote third-party.
    [Checked:991014]

    Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections

    A surprisingly complete listing of votes cast in Presidential elections, including numerous third-party candidates and nice maps of vote distribution by state and (on the individual state pages) by county.
    [New-URL:010309]

    D.C.'s Political Report

    Very good presentation of candidate and party information, including virtually every known third-party group in the USA. Election results, candidate information, etc.
    [Updated:991214]

    Initiative For Texas

    A group trying to establish the right to Initiative and Referendum in Texas. Their work has intriguing parallels and overlaps with ballot access work. Every page at the site seems to have some music on it, which can get annoying after awhile, but otherwise it's an interesting site.
    [Checked:991014]

    Center for Voting and Democracy

    Folks concerned with alternative voting systems, and related issues, from a moderately leftist perspective. Useful articles describing how better systems of voting and electing actually work.
    [Added:000823]

The newsletter is published by and copyright by Richard Winger.