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2008
PETITIONING FOR PRESIDENT
(updated
September 26, 2008)
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TOTAL
STATES ON THE BALLOT
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Libertarian
Party
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Green
Party
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Constitution
Party
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Nader
(Indep.)
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45
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32
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37
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46
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November 28th, 2007
Here is the Asociated Press story on the November 27 court decision from New Hampshire, striking down the state law that lets only the qualified parties have the statewide list of registered voters.
November 28th, 2007
On November 27, BBC ran this article about ballot access laws in Russia. Recent changes not only made it more difficult for parties to get on the ballot, and more difficult for them to win seats under the proportional representation formula. It also abolished procedures for independent candidates, so that even sitting independent members of the Duma are unable to run for re-election. Thanks to Rick Kissell.
November 27th, 2007
On November 27, the New Hampshire Libertarian Party won its lawsuit against a state law that gives the statewide list of registered voters to the qualified parties, and no one else. Libertarian Party of N.H. v Gardner, 07-E-327.
The opinion says there is no compelling state interest in giving the list to the qualified parties and not unqualified parties that also run candidates. It will be up to the legislature to re-write the law. It is unlikely there will be an appeal, but it is possible. Assuming the decision stands, this will be the first time a minor party or independent candidate has won a constitutional election law case against a New Hampshire law. The only other such state is Montana.
November 27th, 2007
On November 27, the Federal Election Commission announced that Chris Dodd is eligible for primary season matching funds. Thanks to Tony Roza for this news.
November 27th, 2007
On November 27, the Michigan State Senate refused to take up HB 4507, the bill that would have the effect of adding several names to the Democratic presidential primary ballot. Thus it appears most likely that the Michigan Democratic presidential primary will go ahead with only Hillary Clinton, Dennis Kucinich, Chris Dodd, and Mike Gravel on the ballot. Thanks to Tom Jones for this news.
November 27th, 2007
On November 26, the Maryland Secretary of State said these names will appear on the presidential primary ballots:
Democrats: Biden, Clinton, Dodd, Edwards, Gravel, Kucinich, Obama, Richardson (8)
Republicans: Giuliani, Huckabee, Hunter, Keyes, McCain, Paul, Romney, Tancredo, Thompson (9)
Maryland puts presidential primary candidates on the ballot automatically if they are mentioned in news media. Anyone who wasn’t listed has another week to submit a petition.
November 26th, 2007
On November 26, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed SB 2414, which moves the presidential primary from March to February 5. Thanks to Thomas Jones for this news.
November 26th, 2007
On November 26, the Michigan House passed HB 4507, which changes the criteria for placing names on presidential primary ballots. Existing law lets candidates withdraw from the Michigan primaries, even if they are running in other state primaries. The bill would have the Secretary of State automatically place candidates on the Michigan ballot who are mentioned in the news media. The effect of the bill, if it passes all the way through with an urgency clause, will be to add Barack Obama, John Edwards, Joe Biden and Bill Richardson.
Although the bill passed on November 26, it didn’t pass with a two-thirds majority, so it can’t take effect immediately. Backers will vote again on November 27 to try to get a two-thirds majority.
November 26th, 2007
Former Oregon Secretary of State Phil Keisling has been an ardent proponent of the “top two” primary for several years now. Because the 2007 session of the Oregon legislature failed to pass a “top two” law, Keisling has resolved to again attempt to place an initiative on the ballot, asking the voters if they wish to choose the “top two” system.
Oregon initiatives cannot circulate until the title and short description of the initiative are approved. The original title was rejected by the Oregon Supreme Court on November 8, 2007. A new title was submitted on November 16. Today (close of business) is the deadline to see if anyone objects to the new title. In the meantime, of course, we are getting closer in time to the unknown day on which the U.S. Supreme Court will issue its ruling in the Washington state “top two” case.
November 26th, 2007
On November 20, the law firm that is trying to persuade Ralph Nader’s bank to seize almost $80,000 from Nader’s account and give it to the people who challenged his 2004 Pennsylvania petition, filed a response in court. The case is pending in the District of Columbia because that is the location of Nader’s bank account. The case is Serody v Nader, 2007 CA 003385F, D.C. Superior Court.
Nader had filed a motion in that case, alleging that the law firm which represents the protestors acted unethically. Nader’s motion said that one of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justices who heard the case was simultaneously being represented by the same law firm. Also, one of the other justices had once been given an unlimited offer to be hired by that firm at any time, an offer that the future justice received in 1985 and accepted in 1991. Finally, Nader said that 3 other justices had received campaign contributions from that law firm.
The law firm’s response admits that these allegations are all true. But, it says, there was nothing wrong with any of those activities. Alternatively, it says that even it there was something wrong, Nader should have raised these points while his case was pending in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, not now. Of course, Nader raised them now because he only learned about them this year, not in 2005 when the case was pending.
In related Pennsylvania legal news, Carl Romanelli, who is facing a similar judgment for a similar amount from his attempt to get on the ballot in 2006, plans to ask the Pennsylvania Supreme Court for reconsideration. The brief will be filed November 26 or November 27. Romanelli will raise the federal constitutional objections to requiring petitioning candidates to pay the costs of removing them from the ballot.
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Welcome
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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: |
|
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)
|
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
-
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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