2008 VOTES FOR PRESIDENT
Top 4 Minor Candidates
(updated November 18, 2008: 99% Precincts Reporting Nationwide)
Nader
Independent
Barr
Libertarian Party
Baldwin
Constitution Party
McKinney
Green Party
698,798
511,324
181,818
152,811
 
     

Anthony Pollina Will Announce Plans on May 29

May 28th, 2008

Anthony Pollina, state chair of the Vermont Progressive Party, will hold a press conference on May 29 (Thursday), to say whether he will continue running for Governor, or whether he will switch to the Lieutenant Governor’s race. He has been running for Governor since late last year. But recently, the Democratic Party came up with a gubernatorial candidate, the Speaker of the Vermont House, Gaye Symington. Democrats are hoping Pollina will switch to the Lieutenant Governor’s race, and are hinting that if he does, they will support him.



Rhode Island Senate Passes National Popular Vote Bill

May 28th, 2008

On May 27, the Rhode Island Senate passed S.2112 by a vote of 27-10. This is the National Popular Vote Plan bill for presidential elections. The same concept has already been signed into law in Hawaii, New Jersey, Illinois and Maryland.

Technical Advance May Help Petitioning

May 28th, 2008

The Ohio Petition Company has implemented an idea that has been talked about for some time…outfitting its circulators with a portable computer that is connected to the state’s list of registered voters. The Ohio Petition Company is a profit-making firm that collects signatures for any group that needs them. The new device enables a circulator to know instantly if someone who is about to sign a petition is a registered voter, and what his or her address is, in the voter registration records. See the company’s web page here. The Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002 required each state to have a computerized list of all the voters in that state. The device can also be used to know how many signers have signed a petition more than once. Thanks to Thomas Jones for this news.

National Democratic Party Wins Yet Another Florida Delegate Lawsuit

May 28th, 2008

On May 28, a U.S. District Court in Tampa, Florida, again ruled in favor of the Democratic National Committee, in a lawsuit filed by a Florida voter over Florida’s having no delegates at the national convention. DiMaio v Democratic National Committee, middle district, 8:08-cv-672T.

This was the second DiMaio lawsuit. He had lost the first one on standing and had re-filed a new case to cure that defect. The judge ruled from the bench at the conclusion of the oral argument. He said parties have a right to make their own rules.

National Democratic Rules Committee Meets to Reconsider Votes for Florida and Michigan

May 28th, 2008

On May 31 and June 1, the Rules and Bylaws Committee of the Democratic National Committee will meet in Washington, DC, to reconsider whether to give Florida and Michigan any convention delegates. The Rules & Bylaws Committee has 28 members, 13 of whom have already committed themselves to support Hillary Clinton, and 8 of whom have already committed to Barack Obama. Whatever the Rules & Bylaws Committee decides can be appealed to the National Committee, so the meeting may be somewhat inconclusive.

Ohio Constitution Party Submits Petition for Attorney General Special Election

May 28th, 2008

Ohio is holding a special election in November 2008 for Attorney General. Normally this office is only on the ballot in mid-term years. But because the incumbent resigned last month, a special election is being held. State law says that independent candidates need 750 signatures in special elections. The only independent who turned in a petition by the May 27 deadline is Robert Owens, chair of the Ohio Constitution Party. He is an attorney. Since he used the independent procedure, the ballot will not list his party name, just “other-party candidate.” The Secretary of State’s office says the petition will have been checked by June 10. UPDATE: Owens won’t have any label on the ballot. He could have chosen to have either “no-party candidate”, “other-party candidate”, or just nothing, and he chose the latter.

Mississippi Democratic Party Loses Open Primary Case on Ripeness

May 28th, 2008

On May 28, the 5th circuit reversed a U.S. District Court in the Mississippi Democratic Party’s lawsuit. Here is the decision. The U.S. District Court had ruled that Mississippi must give the Democratic Party an opportunity to close its primary to outsiders. The 5th circuit said that the case should be dismissed, because the Democratic Party has not passed any Bylaws on closing its primaries, and because it has not asked the U.S. Justice Department, Voting Rights Section, to preclear such bylaws. Mississippi is one of the states covered by section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, which means that neither the government, nor political parties, may change election rules without getting approval from the federal government.

The case is Mississippi State Democratic Party v Barbour, 07-60667. The decision erroneously cites a U.S. Supreme Court decision, Renne v Geary, to strengthen itself. The 5th circuit decision says, “MSDP’s situation more closely resembles that of the Democrat Party in Renne v Geary. The party challenged a California statute that prohibited political parties from endorsing candidates for nonpartisan office.” This sentence is factually erroneous. The Democratic Party was not a plaintiff in Renne v Geary, which is why the U.S. Supreme Court said the plaintiffs (various county central committee members of the San Francisco Democratic Party) didn’t have standing. In the current Mississippi case, the Democratic Party is a plaintiff. The 5th circuit opinion is by Judge Edith Jones, who shows her bias by referring to the Democratic Party as the “Democrat Party.” She is somewhat well-known for being a partisan Republican. Thanks to Steve Rankin for the news.

The Green Papers Web Site Posts State-by-State Votes from Libertarian Convention

May 28th, 2008

The Green Papers web page, the premier site for data about major party and minor party presidential delegate data, has posted the state-by-state vote for the Libertarian national convention votes for president and vice-president. See here.

Two Petitions are Verified

May 28th, 2008

The Constitution Party of New Mexico has been told that its petition has enough valid signatures. Similarly, the Party for Socialism and Liberation has been told that its Arkansas presidential petition has enough valid signatures.

Nader Loses Lawsuit Against Democratic National Committee

May 28th, 2008

On May 27, U.S. District Court Judge Ricardo Urbina, a Clinton appointee in the District of Columbia, dismissed Ralph Nader’s lawsuit against the Democratic National Committee for its actions taken against Nader voters and Nader in 2004. Nader had filed the case in 2007, and had hoped that the Court would allow a trial to show the elements of a conspiracy. The case is Nader v Democratic National Committee, 07-2136.

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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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