The Veterans Party recently attained qualified party status in Mississippi. The party was formerly ballot-qualified in Florida, but otherwise has never been a qualified party in any state. Mississippi has the nation’s easiest law for a group to become and remain a qualified party. The group merely submits a list of party officers. Mississippi has had this law since 1890 and has never changed it, nor has the law ever caused any problem. The Mississippi experience rebuts the idea that severe ballot access hurdles for new or small parties are needed for any legitimate reason. Thanks to Independent Political Report for the news.
Ballot Access News
Edited By Richard Winger
Surprised these folks don’t join forces with the Modern Whig party, or vice versa. They sound very similar: http://www.modernwhig.org/handbook/who-are-modern-whigs
The VPA had disbanded & ceded veterans issues to the Whigs. They have now reorganized or founded a new party with the same name, depending on who you ask.
I can’t believe there are enough people in Mississippi interested in a Veterans Party. The Constitution[al]Party is hardly active, including the Reform Party. Alot of these little “letterhead” parties are more personality conflicts than anything else. It’s the “if I can’t be the Chairman, I’ll form my own party.”
Don’t you just need enough to sign on as party officers? That’s, what, 3 or 4 people? Makes you wonder why more parties aren’t ballot-qualified in MS. Perhaps Richard can answer, because it’s something that’s bugged me for a while. Isn’t former chairman Toby Davis of the Prohibition Party from Mississippi? Why aren’t the Drys trying to get on the ballot there?
Jed:
This is an old post and you may not ever read it. But Toby Davis left Mississippi almost 4 years ago. Don’t know what the problem was, but the Prohibitionist leadership couldn’t seem to find those 5 or 6 people to officially create the Prohibition Party.
Mississippians just don’t seem to to have any interest in a serious 3rd party. Most candidates who don’t like either the GOP or the Democratic party usually run for local offices as Independents. I think the most number of signatures is 25 to 50 per county.
Most Mississippians are “dyed in the wool” Republicans now. Aside from the difference in party name and personalities, one would think you are living back in the 1950’s politically. Certain words are not publicly used, but substitute words gets the same message across.
Veterans Party of America is up and running in MS. Their Presidential candidate is on the Ballot for this up coming 2016 election.