Wisconsin Likely to Convert State Election Board to Non-Partisan Body

January 30th, 2007

The Wisconsin legislature is probably going to pass a package of bills that will dissolve the State Elections Board. In its place will be a Government Accountability Board, composed of six retired or reserve judges.

Wisconsin has been one of a handful of states in which state election law decisions are made by a bi-partisan body, with particular members representing one of the major parties. Other such states are Illinois, Indiana, New York, and North Carolina. Representation on the Wisconsin Board has been available to any party which polled 10% for Governor, so during the period 2003-2007 there were three parties on the Wisconsin Board (Democratic, Republican and Libertarian). But last month the Board reverted to a bi-partisan body, because no minor party polled 10% for Wisconsin Governor in 2006.



Bill to Make it Easier for a Party to Remain on the South Dakota Ballot is Tabled

January 30th, 2007

The South Dakota Senate State Affairs Committee tabled SB 122 on January 29. It would have said that if a party fails to poll 2.5% for Governor, it can still remain on the ballot if it pays $750 soon after the gubernatorial election. The vote was 7-1.

However, the same committee seemed open to a potential future bill that might keep a party on the ballot (even though it failed to get 2.5% for Governor) if it has 1,000 or more registered voters. Senator Scott Heidepriem (D-Sioux Falls) is willing to sponsor such a bill if he can get a Republican co-sponsor.

The only parties (besides the Democratic and Republican Parties) that were on the ballot last year were Libertarian and Constitution. Both failed to get 2.5% for Governor. The Libertarians have 1,157 registrants and Constitution has 339.

Washington Secretary of State Clarifies Minor Party Bill

January 29th, 2007

Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed’s office has clarified the intent of his ballot access bills, HB 1534 and SB 5604. They would not require the nominees of unqualified parties, or independent candidates, to run in the primary. That is good news. Unfortunately, the petitions he is proposing require a separate petition for each statewide nominee of an unqualified party. In presidential election years, there can be as many as 8 statewide offices up in Washington state, and the bill would require 8 separate petitions for an unqualified party that wanted to run a full slate of statewide nominees, plus additional petitions for that party’s US House and legislative candidates.

Record Number of Petition Challenges in Chicago

January 29th, 2007

Chicago holds a non-partisan municipal election in February, with run-offs in April. This year 79 candidates for Chicago city office (mostly alderman) had to fight off challenges to their nominating petitions. The Board of Elections has upheld approximately half the challenges, and some of those candidates are now suing to get back on the ballot. Mayor Richard Daley’s own petitions were challenged, but the challenges to his petitions were defeated.

If You Live in Iowa, You Can Help Expand 2008 Debates

January 28th, 2007

Some of the major party presidential candidates have started making public appearances in Iowa. In particulary, Hillary Clinton just made her first public campaign appearance (as a presidential candidate) in that state. If you have an opportunity for a face-to-face conversation with a leading candidate for the presidential nomination of the major party, please ask that candidate to agree to at least one general election debate (should that candidate by nominated) with the top 4 or 5 general election presidential candidates, not just a two-person general election debate.

Good Ballot Access Bills to be Introduced in South Dakota, West Virginia

January 26th, 2007

South Dakota State Senator Frank Kloucek will introduce a bill on January 29 to make it easier for parties to remain qualified in his state. And West Virginia Delegate Barbara Fleischauer has just introduced a bill (number not yet assigned) to move the minor party and independent candidate petition deadline from May to August (the presidential deadline is already in August).

Vermont IRV Bill to be Introduced on Jan. 29

January 26th, 2007

On January 29, a bill will be introduced in the Vermont legislature to use Instant-Runoff Voting for one or two particular statewide state offices. The bill may have as many as 50 co-sponsors, and the bill is backed by the Secretary of State.

Colorado Bill Would Relax Law on Who can Circulate a Petition

January 26th, 2007

Two bills pending in the Colorado legislature would let any resident over the age of 18 circulate any type of petition. They are HB 1085 and SB 83. Current law does not let anyone circulate an independent candidate petition for district or county office (or, a petition to get a candidate on a primary ballot) if that circulator doesn’t live in that district or county.

Connecticut Senator Wants to Outlaw Fusion

January 25th, 2007

Connecticut has three types of political parties. Qualified major parties nominate by primary; qualified minor parties nominate by convention; unqualified parties nominate by primary. Currently, Connecticut permits fusion for the first two types of party, although not the third type.

Connecticut State Senator Mary Ann Handley, Deputy Majority Leader of the Senate, has introduced Proposed Bill No. 556, to outlaw all types of fusion. Her action is surprising, since she herself was the beneficiary of fusion in last November’s election. She received 20,969 votes on the Democratic line and 1,118 on the Working Families line; her only opponent received 14,064 votes solely on the Republican line. Although she didn’t need the Working Families votes in order to win, one would think she appreciated them.

Washington Secretary of State Sponsors Bill to Require Minor Party & Independent Candidates to Show Triple Support

January 25th, 2007

Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed has written a bill (introduced as SB 5604 and HB 1534) that requires minor party and independent candidates to show popular support three ways before they can qualify for the general election.

First, each candidate needs a petition. Statewide candidates would need 1,000 signatures; US House candidates 500; legislative and county candidates would need 100.

Second, each candidate must pay a filing fee of 1% of the annual salary of the office.

Third, and most strangely, each candidate then goes on the primary ballot (except for presidential candidates) and must poll a minimum number of votes in the primary, in order to be placed on the general election. The minimum number of primary votes equals the number of signatures each had to get.

What is peculiar is that Washington now has separate primary ballots for each major party. It isn’t clear what primary ballot the minor party and independent candidates would appear on, and who would vote on such ballots.

The bill has an obvious drafting error. Whereas on page 14 it says the minor party and independent candidates need a certain minimum number of primary votes, on page 2 it says they don’t appear on the primary ballot.

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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!

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  • 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]

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