On August 4, the Moderate Party submitted its petition to become a qualified party. See this story. The party turned in almost 34,000 signatures, to meet a requirement of 23,589. Assuming the petition is valid, this will be the first time any group has become a qualified party in Rhode Island via the petition method. The petition procedure to create a new party has only existed since 1994.
In the past, groups became qualified parties by the alternate method of running a candidate for Governor or President under the independent procedures, using a party label, and if that candidate polled 5%, the group became a qualified party. This is the method used by the Green Party (Ralph Nader polled over 5% in 2000), which enjoyed qualified status through the 2004 election.
This party has no connection to the Moderate Party in CA right?
Their leaders have communicated with each other, but no formal linkage.
This article is INCORRECT. the GPRI only petitioned to get a presidential candidate on the ballot as a Green in 2000. RI law allows a party to petition on to the ballot with 1000 signatures for Governor or President and keep ballot status with 5% of the vote int he election. The Moderate party is the first to petition for party status submitting 5% of voters on a petition for party status.