Olympia Snowe Retirement from U.S. Senate Puts Maine Ballot Access in the News

February 29th, 2012

On February 28, U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine said she will not run for re-election this year. The announcement was a surprise. Candidates in Maine face burdensome petitions to get themselves on primary ballots. Candidates for U.S. Senate need 2,000 signatures of party members, due March 15. This story explains that even Republicans and Democrats will have trouble with that, given the short time in which to get the signatures.

The story briefly mentions the idea that Americans Elect might run someone for U.S. Senate, but that is literally impossible, because no one can get on the Americans Elect primary ballot without 2,000 signatures of Americans Elect registrants, and Americans Elect doesn’t have that many registrants. The primary ballot access petition for Americans Elect ought to be considered unconstitutional, but only Americans Elect itself would have standing to challenge the 2,000-member requirement, and Americans Elect leaders say they don’t want any congressional nominees this year. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the link.

The Green Party is also ballot-qualified, but because primary ballot access for statewide office is so difficult in Maine, no Green has ever been able to get on the party primary ballot for either U.S. Senate or U.S. House.



Utah Legislative Committee Won’t Pass National Popular Vote Bill, But Recommends Further Study

February 29th, 2012

On February 29, the Utah House Government Operations Committee suspended HB 509, the National Popular Vote Plan bill. However, the bill was technically not defeated, and committee members recommended that the issue receive further study. See this story.

Michigan Secretary of State Posts Unofficial Election Returns for President by U.S. House District

February 29th, 2012

The Michigan Secretary of State has posted election returns from the February 28 presidential primary by U.S. House district. See here. Because these are unofficial results, they won’t remain on the web page for more than a few days. The results by U.S. House district are essential, because the Republicans award delegates to each candidate who carries a U.S. House district. Thanks to Thomas Jones for the link.

Matt Miller, Washington Post Columnist, Shows Value of Candidates Who Run Outside of Major Parties

February 29th, 2012

Matt Miller has this column in the February 29 Washington Post. When candidates seek a major party nomination, they tend to not say what they really believe about solutions to problems. But, when they run outside the major parties, they are more likely to say what they really think, according to Miller.

South Dakota Says Libertarian Party Petition Has Enough Valid Signatures

February 29th, 2012

On February 28, the South Dakota Secretary of State determined that the Libertarian Party petition for party status has enough valid signatures. This is the first 2012 Libertarian Party petition for party status that has been approved by any state, since the party’s Arkansas petition was approved in June 2011.

California Secretary of State Adds Stephen Durham to Peace & Freedom Party Presidential Primary

February 28th, 2012

On February 28, the presidential campaign for Stephen Durham received a letter from the California Secretary of State, saying that Durham has been placed on the Peace & Freedom Party presidential primary ballot. Thanks to Bob Richard for this news.

Nebraska Newspaper Story on the Importance of Each Electoral Vote in 2012

February 28th, 2012

This Nebraska newspaper story is mostly about the fact that Nebraska still lets each U.S. House district choose its own presidential elector. But the more interesting part of the story is in the second half, which discusses the odds that 2012 will see a tie in the electoral college.

Ties in the electoral college are the forgotten disaster waiting to happen. Most commentators who write about the U.S. House choosing the president forget about it. They assume that the U.S. House will only choose the President if there is a presidential candidate other than the Democratic and Republican nominees who gets electoral votes.

The electoral college had an odd number of electors until 1961, when the Constitution was amended to give 3 electoral votes to the District of Columbia. Ever since there has been an even number of electoral college members.

When the U.S. House chooses the President, each state gets one vote, regardless of its population.

Texas Church Will Ask State Supreme Court to Rule that it May Sponsor a Recall Petition

February 28th, 2012

According to this story, a church in El Paso, Texas, will ask the Texas Supreme Court to rule that churches may help get a recall petition on the ballot, whether the church is incorporated or not. On February 17 a State Appeals Court had decertified a recall petition against the Mayor of El Paso, even though the recall petition had enough signatures. The Appeals Court said corporations, even incorporated churches, can’t make contributions to a recall. The case is Cook v Tom Brown Ministries.

David Boren Participates in Americans Elect Oklahoma Press Conference

February 28th, 2012

On February 28, David Boren, a former Governor and U.S. Senator from Oklahoma, participated in the Americans Elect press conference in Oklahoma. The press conference was called to announce the turn-in of 90,000 signatures on the Americans Elect petition for party status. Here is Boren’s statement.

Boren was elected Governor in 1974. In 1978 he was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he remained until he resigned in 1994 to become President of the University of Oklahoma, a post he still holds. His son, Dan Boren, is the only Democratic member of Congress from Oklahoma.

February 2012 Ballot Access News Print Edition

February 28th, 2012

Ballot Access News
February 1, 2012 – Volume 27, Number 9


This issue was printed on white paper.


Table of Contents

  1. TENNESSEE BALLOT ACCESS LAW STRUCK DOWN
  2. NINTH CIRCUIT UPHOLDS WASHINGTON TOP-TWO SYSTEM
  3. VIRGINIA VICTORY
  4. SAN FRANCISCO INSTANT RUNOFF
  5. MINOR PARTIES SUE ALABAMA, OKLAHOMA
  6. VIRGINIA AND CALIFORNIA: OPPOSITE ACTIONS ON WRITE-INS
  7. BALLOT ACCESS BILLS
  8. CALIFORNIA PARTIES CAN SKIP PRIMARY
  9. JANUARY 2012 REGISTRATION TOTALS
  10. 2012 PETITIONING FOR PRESIDENT
  11. ROCKY ANDERSON
  12. OREGON U.S. HOUSE SPECIAL ELECTION
  13. ROSEANNE BARR
  14. BUDDY ROEMER IS FIRST CANDIDATE TO APPLY FOR MATCHING FUNDS
  15. FREEDOM SOCIALIST PARTY
  16. SUBSCRIBING TO BAN WITH PAYPAL

Read the rest of this entry »

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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!

Ballot Access News is edited and published by Richard Winger, the nation's leading expert on ballot access legal issues.

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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]

    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]

    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.