Tennessee State Senator Stacey Campfield (R-Knoxville) has introduced SB 129, which has two purposes. It lowers the number of signatures to qualify a new or previously unqualified party, from 2.5% of the last gubernatorial vote, to 1% of the last gubernatorial vote.
Also, it provides that the voter registration form ask voters if they wish to register into a party, and provides that voters would not be allowed to vote in a primary unless were registered members of the party. However, an exception would be made for voters voting in their first primary after the bill took effect. Currently, Tennessee doesn’t have registration by party.
The bill is faulty for not recognizing that political parties have a right to invite independent voters into their primaries if they wish. Also the bill is vague because it doesn’t explain whether or not voters could register into an unqualified party.
The portion of the bill that lowers the number of signatures to qualify a new party is in response to the September 2010 decision of a U.S. District Court that the old petition requirement is unconstitutional. However, the bill still implies that signing a petition means the signer is a member of the party, and the court decision said that was impermissible. Voters must be allowed to say that they desire that a new party be recognized, without necessarily being members of that party. The bill retains the wording that says “For one year after petitioning successfully, a political party which has a membership equal to 1% of the total number of votes cast for gubernatorial elections as shown by petitions to establish a political party” is qualified. The term “membership” should be deleted from the description of the petition, if the bill’s sponsor wants a law that is constitutional. Also, the bill does nothing to alter the April petition deadline, which the court said is too early.
See the infamous Texas White Donkey Primary cases from 1928-1932 — the REAL beginning of modern civil rights stuff —
leading to things like the top 2 primary in LA and the White Elephant control in many southern States currently.
Nominations by PUBLIC Electors for PUBLIC offices is PUBLIC business — TOTALLY subject to PUBLIC L-A-W-S.
ALL PUBLIC electors do the nominations — as in the top 2 States.
A faction of PUBLIC Electors in each party do the nominations – with or without *independent* PUBLIC Electors — according to LAWS.
See the 2008 WA State top 2 primary case — sorry NO constitutional right for factions of ALL electors to have the faction’s choice of candidates on the general election ballots.
SCOTUS as usual screwed up basic stuff starting in 1968 — Williams v. Rhodes.
Equal nominating petitions.
P.R. and App.V. = NO party hack extremist primaries are needed or wanted.
Richard, do you think that Tennessee will have a petition signature requirement for qualifying political parties for the ballot in time for the 2012 election? If so, what do you think it will be?
Andy, Tennessee might turn out like Ohio, which has not had a constitutional ballot access law for minor parties for over 4 years now, which is why the Constitution, Green, Libertarian and Socialist Parties are on the Ohio ballot even though they submitted no signatures in 2010 and almost none in 2008.
If the Tennessee legislature does pass a bill, we are hoping it requires 2,500 signatures, like the 2007 ballot access bill which was introduced but didn’t pass.
You’d think a legislator would have sense enough to check with an election law expert before submitting a bill.
There was a bill in my state’s legislature for nonpartisan county elections. It violated the First Amendment by prohibiting candidates for county offices from affiliating with a political party.
I have it on good authority that the Tennessee Republican Party is preparing to file suit against their state-mandated open primary, so that they can stop non-Republicans from voting in GOP primaries.
# 4 Party hack robots in gerrymander legislatures have NO sense — just some primitive reflex stuff inside their skulls — like spiders and snakes — especially with ALL stuff connected with elections.
i.e. DO ANY thing possible to get in and stay in POWER.