Florida holds primaries this year on August 24. In the 33rd State House district, near Orlando, there will be a Libertarian Party primary. This will be the first government-sponsored primary for any party in Florida history, other than for Democratic and Republican Party primaries. See this story. The two candidates are Franklin Perez and Ellen Paul.
Until 2007, Florida only held primaries for parties with registration greater than 5% of the state total. In 2007, the legislature changed the law and said all qualified parties should nominate by primary. However, Florida does not actually hold a primary for any party unless it has a contest. Florida doesn’t permit write-ins in partisan primaries, and even though Florida has 35 qualified parties, none of them ever had a contested nomination contest until this year, in the Libertarian Party, in that one state House district.
Government-administered primaries began in Florida in 1913. The law said only parties that had polled at least 5% of the vote in the last election could have a primary. The Progressive Party and the Socialist Party were eligible for primaries in 1914, but probably they didn’t actually have primaries because they had no contests for any nomination. In 1921 the law was changed to say that only parties that had polled 30% of the vote in the last election could have primaries. In 1939 the law was changed to eliminate the vote test, and to say primaries were only for parties that had registration of 5%, the law that was in effect until 2007.
Yes, Florida used to have one of the most discrimatory ballot laws regarding 3rd party and independent candidates, and today has probably the fairest of all. All parties – whether major party or 3rd party – are treated equally ref nominating candidates and ballot position.
The only remaining area of discrimination that Richard overlooked, is 3rd parties in Florida cannot hold presidential preference primaries unless they do have 5% or more of the voter registration. The only party that even comes close to that is the Independent Party with about 3%. Other 3rd parties have less than 1%.
Florida’s ballot access law is a model to use in other states. While the filing fees are high in Florida, it still beats fighting the sun and rain gathering signatures – even though candidates – major party,3rd party, and independents alike, can opt to use the petition route if they choose.
Still, I know some 3rd partisans who pout at Florida’s current “democratic” election laws. These 3rd partisans think their party should be allowed on the General Election Ballot without as much raising a finger.
This attitude is nothing but sheer “arrogance” and “laziness” to boot. If you ain’t got the motivation to get off your butt and raise a filing fee – even if it is $5000 for a statewide office – then you really DON’T belong on a General Election Ballot!
AMEN, Richard!
Every state should be REQUIRED to have a primary closed to corporations.
Let companies run for office, I say. We’ve already given them the right to as much free speech as they can purchase on the airwaves…how can we possibly deny them the free speech that office holders have and still consider ourselves a free country?
And they won’t have any problem with a piddly little $5,000 filing fee, either.
Let’s all be dispassionate and well-reasoned, shall we?
Gee – Separate is NOT equal — even in FL – with its oil and hurricanes.
Brown v. Bd of Ed 1954
I.E. How many party hack EVIL monarchs/oligarchs control the U.S.A. ???
— I.E. the MONSTERS who control the separate and unequal election systems in the States and colonies ???