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May 9th, 2008
Alabama HB 738, which would have lowered the number of signatures for independent candidates (for office other than president) was never brought up on the House floor, and there isn’t enough time left in the session for it to pass. The legislature is about to adjourn for the year.
May 9th, 2008
The Minnesota legislature has passed HF 3986 and SF 3642, identical bills that say, “During the 2008 Republican National Convention, holders of an on-sale liquor license may remain open and may serve alcohol until 4 a.m. each day.” The Republican National Convention is in Minneapolis and St. Paul this year. The bill only applies to that part of the state, and is repealed effective September 8. The normal bar-closing hour in Minnesota is 2 a.m.
May 8th, 2008
Anthony Pollina, state chair of the Vermont Progressive Party, has been running for Governor for some months. But he began the active campaign on May 6, when his radio ads began airing. Also he started a two-week campaign tour around Vermont on May 6.
His chances of winning will be enhanced if the Democrats don’t run anyone for Governor. The Democratic Speaker of the House, Gaye Symington, says she will decide whether to run in the next week. Symington is not as well-known within Vermont as Pollina.
May 8th, 2008
Washington state candidates for all partisan office except president may obtain official forms to run in the August primary, starting on May 12 (Monday). Under “top-two”, no candidate (except presidential candidates) needs any petition. The filing fee is the only ballot access barrier to the August primary. It is important that as many minor party members as possible file for public office this year, especially for Congress. The existence of minor party candidates for Congress will make it possible to gather valuable evidence for any new lawsuit filed against “top-two” (as used in congressional elections), in 2009.
Although the U.S. Supreme Court upheld “top-two” last month, it only upheld it against the claim that “top-two” violates the associational rights of political parties, and even on that point, it only upheld it on its face, not as applied.
No court has yet adjudicated the claim that “top-two” is invalid in congressional elections, on ballot access grounds. Federal law sets congressional elections in November. U.S. Supreme Court jurisprudence has established that ballot access directly to the election itself cannot be denied to candidates who meet the constitutional qualifications to be a member of Congress, and who have a modicum of support, and who are not sabotaging their own party. In 1986 the U.S. Supreme Court said states can use a preliminary screening election to pare down the number of candidates on the November ballot, and that preliminary screening elections are analogous to petitions. But petitions cannot exceed 5% of the electorate.
May 8th, 2008
Bob Barr will hold a press conference on May 12 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. It seems likely he will make a formal declaration that he is seeking the Libertarian presidential nomination. Thanks to Third Party Watch.
May 7th, 2008
On May 7, the Michigan Democratic Party chose a delegation of 69 Clinton delegates and 59 Obama delegates, and hopes that the Democratic National Committee will now agree to seat the Michigan delegation. Thanks to Thomas Jones for this news. Here is a news story.
May 7th, 2008
On Saturday, May 3, the Vermont legislature adjourned for the year. In a surprise move, legislative leaders said they won’t bring the legislature back for a day in June to consider whether to override any vetoes. Governor Jim Douglas may or may not sign the National Popular Vote Plan bill, SB 270. He may let it become law without his signature. He must decide by the end of the day, Friday, May 9.
May 7th, 2008
Seven of Florida’s 25 U.S. House seats will have an independent candidate on the ballot in November. There have never before been this many U.S. House races in that state with an independent candidate on the ballot. Florida had extremely stringent petition requirements for independents and minor party candidates before 1999.
One of the independent candidates is a former Democratic state legislator, Ben Graber. He is running in the 19th district against incumbent Democrat Robert Wexler. Here is Graber’s webpage. Wexler usually has no opponents.
Another of the independent candidates for Congress is Burt Saunders, who is now a Republican State Senator. Saunders is running in the 19th district (Naples). Here is his webpage.
Democrats are running someone in all 25 districts. No Republicans are running in the 3rd, 17th, and 20th districts. Thanks to ThirdPartyWatch for the news about Burt Saunders and Ben Graber.
May 7th, 2008
Although Florida has many ballot-qualified minor parties, none of them has any candidates for Congress this year, except for the Term Limits for Congress Party. That is a new party running Richard O. Emmons in the 9th district. Here is its webpage.
May 7th, 2008
On May 5, Ed Noonan, state chair of the American Independent Party of California, changed the state party’s webpage to show that Chuck Baldwin is the party’s presidential nominee. The AIP is the California affiliate of the Constitution Party, which nominated Baldwin last month in Kansas City.
However, Noonan told me on the telephone on May 7 that he still will work to nominate Alan Keyes as the presidential candidate of the American Independent Party. Noonan feels that Keyes would run a more vigorous campaign than Baldwin will. The AIP state convention will make the decision in Sacramento in June.
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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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Issues
available: |
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2008:
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2007:
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2006:
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2005:
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2004:
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2003:
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2002:
- December
2002 Issue
(V:18– N:8)
- November
2002 Issue
(V:18– N:7)
- October
1, 2002 Issue (V:18 – N:6)
- September
1, 2002 Issue
(V:18 – N:5)
- August
1, 2002 issue (V:18 – N:4)
- July
1, 2002 issue (V:18 – N:3)
- June
1, 2002 issue (V:18 – N:2)
- May
1, 2002 issue (V:18 – N:1)
- April
1, 2002 issue (V:17 – N:13)
- March
1, 2002 issue (V:17 – N:12)
- February
1, 2002 issue (V:17 – N:11)
- January
1, 2002 issue (V:17 – N:10)
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2001:
- December
1, 2001 issue (V:17 – N:9)
- November
1, 2001 issue (V:17 – N:8)
- October
1, 2001 issue (V:17 – N:7)
- September
1, 2001 issue (V:17 – N:6)
- August
1, 2001 issue (V:17 – N:5)
- July
1, 2001 issue (V:17 – N:4)
- June
1, 2001 issue (V:17 – N:3)
- May
1, 2001 issue (V:17 – N:2)
- April
1, 2001 issue (V:17 – N:1)
- March
1, 2001 issue (V:16 – N:12)
- February
1, 2001 issue (V:16 – N:11)
- January
1, 2001 issue (V:16 – N:10)
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2000:
- December
5, 2000 issue (V:16 – N:9)
- November
16, 2000 issue (V:16 – N:8)
- October
1, 2000 issue (V:16 – N:7)
- September
1, 2000 issue (V:16 – N:6)
- August
1, 2000 issue (V:16 – N:5)
- July
1, 2000 issue (V:16 – N:4)
- June
1, 2000 issue (V:16 – N:3)
- May
1, 2000 issue (V:16 – N:2)
- April
1, 2000 issue (V:16 – N:1)
- March
1, 2000 issue (V:15 – N:12)
- February
1, 2000 issue (V:15 – N:11)
- January
1, 2000 issue (V:15 – N:10)
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1999:
- December
1, 1999 issue (V:15 – N:9)
- November
1, 1999 issue (V:15 – N:8)
- October
1, 1999 issue (V:15 – N:7)
- September
1, 1999 issue (V:15 – N:6)
- August
3, 1999 issue (V:15 – N:5)
- July
3, 1999 issue (V:15 – N:4)
- June
1, 1999 issue (V:15 – N:3)
- May
3, 1999 issue (V:15 – N:2)
- April
3, 1999 issue (V:15 – N:1)
- March
6, 1999 issue (V:14 – N:12)
- February
6, 1999 issue (V:14 – N:11)
- January
6, 1999 issue (V:14 – N:10)
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1998:
- December
8, 1998 issue (V:14 – N:9)
- November
8, 1998 issue (V:14 – N:8)
- October
4, 1998 issue (V:14 – N:7)
- September
4, 1998 issue (V:14 – N:6)
- August
3, 1998 issue (V:14 – N:5)
- July
3, 1998 issue (V:14 – N:4)
- June
3, 1998 issue (V:14 – N:3)
- May
7, 1998 issue (V:14 – N:2)
- April
5, 1998 issue (V:14 – N:1)
- March
8, 1998 issue (V:13 – N:12)
- February
8, 1998 issue (V:13 – N:11)
- January
5, 1998 issue (V:13 – N:10)
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1997:
- December
5, 1997 issue (V:13 – N:9)
- November
1, 1997 issue (V:13 – N:8)
- October
6, 1997 issue (V:13 – N:7)
- September
6, 1997 issue (V:13 – N:6)
- August
4, 1997 issue (V:13 – N:5)
- July
2, 1997 issue (V:13 – N:4)
BAN.
changed to a 12 issue per year schedule.
- June
2, 1997 issue (V:13 – N:3)
- May
5, 1997 issue (V:13 – N:2)
- April
7, 1997 issue (V:13 – N:1)
- March
10, 1997 issue (V:12 – N:13)
- February
10, 1997 issue (V:12 – N:12)
- January
12, 1997 issue (V:12 – N:11)
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1996:
- December
12, 1996 issue (V:12 – N:10)
- November
12, 1996 issue (V:12 – N:9)
- October
12, 1996 issue (V:12 – N:8)
- September
9, 1996 issue (V:12 – N:7)
- August
12, 1996 issue (V:12 – N:6)
- July
20, 1996 issue (V:12 – N:5)
- June
26, 1996 issue (V:12 – N:4)
- May
28, 1996 issue (V:12 – N:3)
- May
3, 1996 issue (V:12 – N:2)
- April
3, 1996 issue (V:12 – N:1)
- March
6, 1996 issue (V:11 – N:13)
- February
7, 1996 issue (V:11 – N:12)
- January
14, 1996 issue (V:11 – N:11)
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1995:
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1994:
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1993:
- 1993 Issues
not yet available online
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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]
- 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]
The newsletter
is published by and copyright by Richard
Winger. |
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