Texas currently has four ballot-qualified parties, Republican, Democratic, Libertarian, and Green. Any party that is not now qualified must submit a petition, due in June 2012. But, it may not circulate the petition unless it submits a form no later than January 2, 2012.
So far, the only unqualified parties that have filed this form are the Constitution, Generation, Christian, and Internet Action Parties. It is expected that Americans Elect, and probably others, will file the form soon.
How many zillion deadlines in election laws for parties and candidates – partisan and independents ???
i.e. How many UNEQUAL election law sections regarding ballot access ???
The Donkey/Elephant top EVIL gangsters are playing for PERMANENT control of the U.S.A. — in part via election laws.
1. This might be the first failure of Americans Elect to gain ballot access. It’s a brutal petition drive. Will be fascinating to watch. They may end up wishing they had formed an alliance with the Green Party.
2. Rocky Anderson and friends have not even filed to attempt gaining ballot status. That is a good sign that they are beginning to realize a Green Party alliance is reasonable, sensible, pragmatic, and effective course.
1. There will be no ballot access failures for Americans Elect, they have enough money to get on everywhere (they did California with 1.6 million signatures….any questions?) and ideologically they do not line up with Greens.
2. Rocky has until January 2 so they will likely be filing as well.
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As a Green, I would work against any alliance with the astroturf American Elect corporation. Rocky Anderson, on the other hand, is foolhardy to think that a national political party will form around a former mayor of a midsized western city. If the Jill Stein / Rocky Anderson discussions are true, it would be beneficial to both the Greens and Rocky Anderson.
A party that intends to nominate by convention (Election Code 181) must register their intent to do so by January 2. This form has nothing to do with whether a party is ballot-qualified or is a new party seeking to qualify.
Texas does not require a party to pre-qualify prior to conducting nominating activities; nor does it provide a process by which voters may ratify the nominations made by party bosses/organizers by signing a petition.
Instead, Texas combines the nomination and qualification process. If sufficient voters participate in the nominating process (by attending precinct conventions) the party qualifies.
Texas also permits a party to supplement its list of convention participants by filing a supplementary petition. Obviously, the list of convention participants can not be supplemented until after the conventions are held.
Richard Winger confuses this supplemental petition with the combined nomination/qualification process.
Since candidates for nomination by a political party must file in advance, it is reasonable that the political party itself file that it intends to nominate by convention for that year’s election. Since candidates file with either the state chair or county chair, it is entirely reasonable that these individuals are identified in advance of the candidate filing. County parties conduct the precinct conventions in their party. So not only do candidates for county office file with the county chair, the county chair is responsible for organizing the precinct conventions, including providing public notice of their time and locations.
Further it is entirely reasonable that political parties file the rules by which they will conduct their conventions in advance.