The US Supreme Court has not upheld the “top-two” system in any final sense. It has only said that challenges must be brought after the system has been tried at least once. Also it hasn’t ruled on the argument that the system violates the ballot access precedents. The data from states that have used “top-two” show that the only candidates who ever qualify for the Missouri ballot are members of the Democratic and Republican Parties, so I am dismayed that anyone supports it.

While considered an ‘open’ primary system, it is hardly that since Missouri voters are required to choose a party and given a ballot for that party at the primaries. We are very pleased the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Washington States Top Two primary system and are considering an initiative drive to allow such here.

The article is not available online. Here is the citation and the abstract follows.

Ralph Nader’s Campaign Strategy in the 2000 U.S. Presidential Election
Burden American Politics Research.2005; 33: 672-699

“Those observing the 2000 presidential campaign agreed that Ralph Nader could not win the presidency but disagreed about his actual strategy. Many Democrats contended that he was playing the role of “spoiler” in an attempt to attract attention or affect the election outcome. Others argued that he was trying to earn 5% of the popular vote to secure matching funds for the Green Party in the next presidential election. Count models find that Nader’s travel schedule, unlike Gore’s, was unresponsive to the closeness of the major-party race. Nader’s appearances were driven primarily by opportunities for attracting a large number of voters, suggesting that earning 5% was indeed a central campaign goal. Data on television advertising produce a parallel result. This finding resolves an ongoing debate about Nader in particular, but also points to broader differences between major and minor-party campaign strategies.”

Burden is interviewed in the doc ‘An Unreasonable Man’

From 1954 to 1992, I think the only party to get on ballots in two years was the “American” party, which got extended access due to Wallace, and promptly lost it after 1970 (although they had a three-way Senate primary that year).

Kansas had some more third parties on the ballots before they changed the laws in the 1980s.

Speaking of Kansas, any idea if the Kansas Reform Party or any other reform party will nominate a Presidential candidate this year?

A bill or two got shot down before then due to disagreements, so it looked like she could have got it done if not for that.