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April 24th, 2006
Although the Labor Party was formed in 1990, it had never run any candidates in a partisan race, nor tried to qualify for the ballot. However, it has been attempting to qualify in South Carolina this year. It wanted to run Leonard Riley of the International Longshoremen Union for the state legislature in the 119th House district, against an incumbent who is perceived as an enemy of labor.
However, that incumbent is not running for re-election, so Riley lost interest in running. The Labor Party has over 10,000 signatures on its petition (10,000 valid are required) and is still not sure if it will turn them in by this year’s May 7 deadline, to participate in the 2006 election. If it turns them in later than May 7, and more than 10,000 are valid, it will be ballot-qualified for 2008, but not 2006.
April 23rd, 2006
The Constitution Party national committee met in Tampa, Florida, April 20-21. Attempts by some to expel the Nevada state affiliate were defeated.
April 22nd, 2006
On April 17, the Colorado Senate passed SB223, which is identical to bills pending in 4 other states. It would authorize a compact among like-minded states, to change the electoral college system. Cooperating states would promise to appoint electors who would vote for the presidential candidate with the highest popular vote, nationwide. If enough states joined the compact, it would be impossible for anyone ever again to win the presidency who did not poll the most popular votes.
April 22nd, 2006
On April 29, the New York Libertarian Party holds its statewide nominating convention in Albany. William Weld, who is seeking the Republican nomination, will also attend the Libertarian convention and ask for its nomination as well. William Weld was once Governor of Massachusetts. Although he is a strong contender for the New York Republican nomination, he has a strong opponent for that Republican nomination. It is likely that the race for the Republican nomination won’t be settled until September. If the Libertarians nominate Weld in April, they face the risk that he would withdraw in September if he doesn’t get the Republican nomination as well.
April 22nd, 2006
New York Magazine, April 24 issue, has a feature story, “Introducing the Purple Party”, which makes the case for a new political party in the U.S.
April 22nd, 2006
The Independent Green Party of Virginia has submitted almost 16,500 signatures for its candidate for U.S. Senate (10,000 are required), and the party is working on qualifying a candidate for U.S. House in every Virginia district. It is virtually certain that no other minor party or statewide independent candidates will be on the Virginia ballot this year. The petition deadline is June 13.
April 21st, 2006
The Election Law Journal, the nation’s only peer-reviewed journal focusing on election law, has published an article that uses empirical data to show that restrictive ballot access laws are not needed to prevent crowded ballots. The Election Law Journal does not normally provide any means for non-subscribers to read its articles on-line. However, an exception has been made for the current issue. This particular article can be seen on-line.
April 21st, 2006
On April 21, the 6th circuit ruled that Ohio violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment when, in 2002, it used punchcard ballots in some counties, and better voting methods in other counties. Stewart v Blackwell, 05-3044. The vote was 2-1. All three judges were appointed by Democratic presidents. It is very likely that Ohio will ask for a rehearing en banc.
The majority based its decision on Bush v Gore. The dissent asserted that Bush v Gore is not a binding or meaningful precedent. Bush v Gore, the famous decision of December 12, 2000, which settled the presidential election of 2000, said, “Having once granted the right to vote on equal terms, the state may not, by later arbitrary and disparate treatment, value one person’s vote over that of another.” Also, “the idea that one group can be granted greater voting strength than another is hostile to the one man, one vote basis of our representative government.” If Bush v Gore were followed faithfully by lower courts, and by the US Supreme Court itself, many problems that prevent voters from voting freely for a minor party or independent candidate could be swept away. Therefore, it is refreshing to find this most recent example of a lower court taking Bush v Gore seriously.
April 20th, 2006
On April 20, the 9th circuit agreed to a rehearing en banc in Padilla v Lever, 03-56259. The original 9th circuit panel had ruled that petitions must be in languages other than English (if they circulate in areas in which ballots must be in other languages than English). The result had threatened the ballot status of several circulating initiatives. Now the case will be re-argued before eleven judges picked randomly. Thanks to Rick Hasen for this news.
April 20th, 2006
On April 19, the California Senate Elections Committee heard one hour and forty minutes of testimony on AB 583, by Assemblywoman Loni Hancock, to establish public funding for state office. The Committee did not act on the bill, which would provide public funding for candidates who raised a certain number of $5 contributions from members of the public. The bill will be re-written and scheduled for a committee vote in the near future. Anyone can watch the testimony at caclean.org. C.T. Weber of the Peace & Freedom Party, and Richard Winger, who were the last two witnesses, were the only witnesses who complained about the fact that independent candidates and most minor party candidates would need twice as many qualifying contributions as other candidates.
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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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Issues
available: |
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2008:
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2007:
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2006:
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2005:
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2004:
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2003:
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2002:
- December
2002 Issue
(V:18– N:8)
- November
2002 Issue
(V:18– N:7)
- October
1, 2002 Issue (V:18 – N:6)
- September
1, 2002 Issue
(V:18 – N:5)
- August
1, 2002 issue (V:18 – N:4)
- July
1, 2002 issue (V:18 – N:3)
- June
1, 2002 issue (V:18 – N:2)
- May
1, 2002 issue (V:18 – N:1)
- April
1, 2002 issue (V:17 – N:13)
- March
1, 2002 issue (V:17 – N:12)
- February
1, 2002 issue (V:17 – N:11)
- January
1, 2002 issue (V:17 – N:10)
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2001:
- December
1, 2001 issue (V:17 – N:9)
- November
1, 2001 issue (V:17 – N:8)
- October
1, 2001 issue (V:17 – N:7)
- September
1, 2001 issue (V:17 – N:6)
- August
1, 2001 issue (V:17 – N:5)
- July
1, 2001 issue (V:17 – N:4)
- June
1, 2001 issue (V:17 – N:3)
- May
1, 2001 issue (V:17 – N:2)
- April
1, 2001 issue (V:17 – N:1)
- March
1, 2001 issue (V:16 – N:12)
- February
1, 2001 issue (V:16 – N:11)
- January
1, 2001 issue (V:16 – N:10)
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2000:
- December
5, 2000 issue (V:16 – N:9)
- November
16, 2000 issue (V:16 – N:8)
- October
1, 2000 issue (V:16 – N:7)
- September
1, 2000 issue (V:16 – N:6)
- August
1, 2000 issue (V:16 – N:5)
- July
1, 2000 issue (V:16 – N:4)
- June
1, 2000 issue (V:16 – N:3)
- May
1, 2000 issue (V:16 – N:2)
- April
1, 2000 issue (V:16 – N:1)
- March
1, 2000 issue (V:15 – N:12)
- February
1, 2000 issue (V:15 – N:11)
- January
1, 2000 issue (V:15 – N:10)
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1999:
- December
1, 1999 issue (V:15 – N:9)
- November
1, 1999 issue (V:15 – N:8)
- October
1, 1999 issue (V:15 – N:7)
- September
1, 1999 issue (V:15 – N:6)
- August
3, 1999 issue (V:15 – N:5)
- July
3, 1999 issue (V:15 – N:4)
- June
1, 1999 issue (V:15 – N:3)
- May
3, 1999 issue (V:15 – N:2)
- April
3, 1999 issue (V:15 – N:1)
- March
6, 1999 issue (V:14 – N:12)
- February
6, 1999 issue (V:14 – N:11)
- January
6, 1999 issue (V:14 – N:10)
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1998:
- December
8, 1998 issue (V:14 – N:9)
- November
8, 1998 issue (V:14 – N:8)
- October
4, 1998 issue (V:14 – N:7)
- September
4, 1998 issue (V:14 – N:6)
- August
3, 1998 issue (V:14 – N:5)
- July
3, 1998 issue (V:14 – N:4)
- June
3, 1998 issue (V:14 – N:3)
- May
7, 1998 issue (V:14 – N:2)
- April
5, 1998 issue (V:14 – N:1)
- March
8, 1998 issue (V:13 – N:12)
- February
8, 1998 issue (V:13 – N:11)
- January
5, 1998 issue (V:13 – N:10)
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1997:
- December
5, 1997 issue (V:13 – N:9)
- November
1, 1997 issue (V:13 – N:8)
- October
6, 1997 issue (V:13 – N:7)
- September
6, 1997 issue (V:13 – N:6)
- August
4, 1997 issue (V:13 – N:5)
- July
2, 1997 issue (V:13 – N:4)
BAN.
changed to a 12 issue per year schedule.
- June
2, 1997 issue (V:13 – N:3)
- May
5, 1997 issue (V:13 – N:2)
- April
7, 1997 issue (V:13 – N:1)
- March
10, 1997 issue (V:12 – N:13)
- February
10, 1997 issue (V:12 – N:12)
- January
12, 1997 issue (V:12 – N:11)
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1996:
- December
12, 1996 issue (V:12 – N:10)
- November
12, 1996 issue (V:12 – N:9)
- October
12, 1996 issue (V:12 – N:8)
- September
9, 1996 issue (V:12 – N:7)
- August
12, 1996 issue (V:12 – N:6)
- July
20, 1996 issue (V:12 – N:5)
- June
26, 1996 issue (V:12 – N:4)
- May
28, 1996 issue (V:12 – N:3)
- May
3, 1996 issue (V:12 – N:2)
- April
3, 1996 issue (V:12 – N:1)
- March
6, 1996 issue (V:11 – N:13)
- February
7, 1996 issue (V:11 – N:12)
- January
14, 1996 issue (V:11 – N:11)
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1995:
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1994:
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1993:
- 1993 Issues
not yet available online
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Additional
articles/essays:
- Politics,
Soviet-style by S. Philip Gordon, regarding recent ballot
access issues in Georgia – the US state, not the Russian
territority!
Extra
Features:
Other
information:
- Here's how to subscribe
to Ballot Access News!
- 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
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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. |
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