During the month of May, volunteers and paid workers have been working hard in Delaware to increase the number of registered voters in the Green Party, the Constitution Party, and the Working Families Party.

All three were ballot-qualified in Delaware under the old law, which required approximately 300 registered members. But in 2010, the legislature doubled the requirement. The change was not effective until after the 2010 election was over. The Independent Party and the Libertarian Party already had over 600 registered members in any event, so they were not directly injured by the 2010 change. But the new law has forced three other parties to carry out a registration drive.

The three parties were aware that it is easier to get new registered members in Delaware before May 25, when restrictive rules make it impossible for registered voters to change parties. So, all three parties did their best to finish the registration drive before that day, and each believes it has succeeded.

Americans Elect never did any work in Delaware to qualify itself. It is the only state in which Americans Elect could have qualified, without the difficult of coming up with a stand-in presidential candidate, and without a great deal of expense, but in which Americans Elect didn’t try to qualify. This is probably because the founders of Americans Elect have never wanted voters to register into Americans Elect. They are uncomfortable with Americans Elect having registered members. But in Delaware, having approximately 600 registered members is the only way a party may be on the ballot.