November 2015 Ballot Access News Print Edition

Ballot Access News
November 1, 2015 – Volume 31, Number 6

This issue was printed on purple paper.


Table of Contents

  1. TOP-TWO PRIMARY SYSTEM LOSES SUPPORT
  2. MAINE INSTANT RUNOFF VOTING
  3. NEW CANADA GOVERNMENT PLEDGED TO ELECTION REFORM
  4. LARRY LESSIG ASKS NBC FOR EQUAL TIME
  5. SUPREME COURT WON’T HEAR PRIMARY CASES
  6. ACLU SUES CALIFORNIA OVER DISCRIMINATORY LAW ON PARTY LABELS
  7. NEW MEXICO SECRETARY OF STATE WON’T LET PETITIONS CIRCULATE NOW
  8. CALIFORNIA SECRETARY OF STATE REFUSES TO TALLY INDEPENDENT PARTY REGISTRATIONS
  9. LAWSUIT NEWS
  10. BALLOT ACCESS FOR 2016 REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES
  11. 2016 PETITIONING FOR PRESIDENT
  12. GALLUP POLLING DECISION AND PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES
  13. EMMA MAR, FIRST ASIAN TO APPEAR ON A BALLOT FOR NATIONAL OFFICE, DIES
  14. JIM WEBB MAY RUN AS AN INDEPENDENT FOR PRESIDENT
  15. LOUISIANA’S TWO INDEPENDENT LEGISLATORS ARE RE-ELECTED
  16. SOCIALIST PARTY NOMINATES
  17. PROHIBITION PARTY ON IN ARKANSAS
  18. SUBSCRIBING TO BAN WITH PAYPAL

TOP-TWO PRIMARY SYSTEM LOSES SUPPORT

Recent statements and events show that support for top-two primaries is waning. Top-two systems provide that all candidates run on the same primary ballot, and only the two candidates who placed first or second may run in the general election. Two states, California and Washington, use this system for all federal and state office except President and non-partisan office.

California

On October 21, the League of Women Voters of Alameda held a forum on California’s top-two system. Even though top-two has been an issue in California since 2004, no unit of the California LWV had ever held a forum on the system, until the recent Alameda meeting. By contrast, the state Leagues of Arizona and Washington had already studied it years ago and come out against it.

The Alameda meeting had three panelists. State Controller Betty Yee said it’s too early to evaluate the idea. She said California does have more fiscal stability now, but that is the result of Proposition 25 (which ended the rule that the budget had to pass by two-thirds in each house), Proposition 30 (a temporary tax increase) and Proposition 28 (which eased term limits for legislators). She sees some "gaming of the system" in which activists from one party recruit candidates from the other major party to splinter the other party’s vote in the primary.

She also said Proposition 14 increases campaign expenditures, and she said, paradoxically, it might increase the power of the leaders of the two major parties. She added that it injures minor parties. And she added that it is "dumb" that candidates who poll over 50% in June must still run again in November. Nevertheless, she said she is not willing to give up on the idea yet.

Jennifer Ong, a Democratic candidate for the legislature in 2012 who did not get elected, said "The big change is money. In effect, having to run two general election campaigns increases campaign costs. The people who make money off campaigns are so happy!"

U.C. Berkeley political scientist Ethan Rarick said that the top-two system in California has lead to lower voter turnout so far. He also said that approximately 50% of "orphaned voters" (those without a member of their own party on the November ballot) leave their ballots blank rather than vote for the candidate of some other party. And he said that research shows that primary voters tend not to know which candidates are "moderates" and which are not, so hopes that the system would help moderates win have not been fulfilled.

Florida

A top-two initiative is circulating in Florida. On October 21, WMNF radio in Tampa held the first debate on the proposal. Dan Meek argued against the initiative, and Dr. Omar Ali argued for it. Meek is an Oregon attorney; Ali is a History Professor in North Carolina and a leader of Independent Voting.

Meek made a strong argument that a top-two system causes "vote splitting", in which one major party is at a severe disadvantage if it has too many members running, relative to the other major party if that other party only has two candidates running. Meek mentioned that this flaw forced the voters of the 31st U.S. House district to elect a Republican in 2012, even though the district is strongly Democratic; and the same thing almost happened again in 2014 in the same district. Ali, in response, said that a top-four system would be just as good.

Arizona

Paul Johnson is a former Mayor of Phoenix who was responsible for getting a top-two initiative on the Arizona ballot in 2012 (it did not pass). Now he is organizing to get a new initiative on the ballot, but it calls for non-partisan elections for all federal, state and county office, except that President would still be partisan. But for all other office, no party labels would be on any ballot. The draft of his new initiative is still not on the Secretary of State’s web page, but it should be soon.

Nevada

On October 21, Doug Goodman, a Nevada activist who was instrumental in getting a bill for a top-two system introduced in the Nevada legislature this year, said he now favors abolishing primaries and letting all candidates run in November, with instant runoff voting. He has drafted a bill to implement this idea. It will be introduced in the next legislative session.

Congress

HR 2655, the bill to impose top-two systems on all states, was introduced on June 4. Despite a well-funded campaign by Independent Voting, after six months the bill still has only three co-sponsors.

Outlook for 2016

So far, every statewide top-two election has resulted in one Democrat against one Republican (and no one else) in November. But polls show that the U.S. Senate election in California in November 2016 will be between two Democrats, Attorney General Kamala Harris and Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez. These two Democrats agree with each other on issues. Having such an important election with no real choice will likely persuade many Californians that the system should be reformed.


MAINE INSTANT RUNOFF VOTING

On October 19, an initiative petition was submitted to the Maine Secretary of State. It would switch all federal and state elections, except President, to instant runoff voting. The initiative needs 61,126 signatures. Proponents submitted slightly more than 70,000. The validity is expected to be high because a large share of the signatures were collected at the polls in recent elections.

Assuming the measure qualifies, the legislature must decide whether to pass it, although the legislature can’t amend it. If the legislature doesn’t pass it, it will be on the ballot in November 2016. If it passes, Maine will be the first state to use IRV for statewide general elections. Over 100 years ago, it was used in a few southern states for statewide primaries.

No major party nominee for Governor of Maine has received a majority of the vote since 1982.


NEW CANADA GOVERNMENT PLEDGED TO ELECTION REFORM

On October 19, Canada held a House of Commons election. The Liberal Party won a majority of the seats.

Before the election, the Liberal Party election manifesto said, "We’re committed to ensuring that 2015 will be the last federal election conducted under the first-past-the-post voting system. As part of a national engagement process, we will ensure that electoral reform measures – such as ranked ballots, proportional representation, mandatory voting, and online voting – are fully and fairly studied, and considered. This will be carried out by a special all-party parliamentary committee, which will bring recommendations to Parliament on the way forward, to allow for action before the succeeding federal election. Within 18 months of forming government, we will bring forward legislation to enact electoral reform."

The same five parties are represented in the new Parliament as before. The number of seats won is: Liberal 184, Conservative 99, New Democratic 44, Bloc Quebecois 10, Green 1. The percentage of the national vote each of these parties received is: Liberal 39.5%; Conservative 31.9%; New Democratic 19.7%; Bloc Qeubecois 4.7%; Green 3.4%. The largest party that didn’t win any seats is the Libertarian Party, which got .2%.


LARRY LESSIG ASKS NBC FOR EQUAL TIME

On October 3, Hillary Clinton appeared on NBC’s Saturday Night Live Comedy show for a little more than three minutes. The Equal Time rule, passed in 1934, still exists, although it has been amended through the years not to apply to news interviews.

However, everyone seems to agree that Saturday Night Live is not the kind of show exempted, so Democratic presidential candidate Larry Lessig has asked NBC for equal time. The Equal Time rule would not require that Lessig appear on Saturday Night Live, just that he be given an equal amount of time on the network. NBC responded by asking Lessig to demonstrate that he is a bona fide candidate. Lessig then showed that he has qualified for primary season matching funds.

Originally, the rule only applied to radio. Because of the rule, the radio networks broadcast the presidential conventions of the Socialist, Communist, Socialist Labor, and Prohibition Parties in 1936 and 1940.


SUPREME COURT WON’T HEAR PRIMARY CASES

During October, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear both cases involving primaries. On October 5 it refused to hear Balsam v Guadagno, a New Jersey case that challenged the closed primary. On October 13, it refused to hear Rubin v Padilla, the minor party challenge to California’s top-two system.


ACLU SUES CALIFORNIA OVER DISCRIMINATORY LAW ON PARTY LABELS

On October 8, the ACLU filed a lawsuit against the California law that says some candidates may have their party label on the ballot, when they run for Congress or partisan state office. But other candidates can’t. The case is Soltysik v Padilla, c.d., 2:15cv-7916. The case was assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Andre Birotte, an Obama appointee. The plaintiffs are two registered Socialists who want to have "party preference: Socialist" on the ballot when they run for legislature in 2016. Existing law says they can only have "party preference: none." The Socialist Party is not a qualified party in California.

A similar case in state court filed in 2011, Field v Bowen, did not win in the lower courts, and the State Supreme Court would not hear it. However, the law has been changed since then. In 2012 the legislature passed AB 1413, which deleted the ability of candidates to have no label. Under the new law, candidates who are members of unqualified parties must have "party preference: none" on the ballot, even though in the case of these plaintiffs, that is not true. They prefer the Socialist Party.

The Independent Voters Project says it will not intervene in court to defend the existing discriminatory law. This represents a gain, because IVP did intervene in court in Field v Bowen. It is not known if the other intervenor, Californians for an Open Primary, will intervene.

In 2013 the Ninth Circuit upheld the practice of barring independent candidates from having the word "independent" on the ballot, because there was no evidence that an independent is harmed. But the Ninth Circuit said, "We express no view as to whether the removal of the blank space option compels speech by requiring candidates who prefer a non-qualified party to falsely state they have no party preference."


NEW MEXICO SECRETARY OF STATE WON’T LET PETITIONS CIRCULATE NOW

Even though New Mexico has no law setting a start date for independent candidate petitions, the Secretary of State recently said she won’t permit independent candidate petitions to circulate before March 1, 2016. The law does say that the Secretary of State must put a sample petition form on her web site by March 1, and that law is her justification. However, the election code has a sample of the independent candidate petition, so the posting of a sample petition on the web site is not even needed.

New Mexico has the nation’s second highest petition requirement for independent presidential candidates. It is 3% of the last gubernatorial vote. Only Oklahoma, at 3% of the last presidential vote, is higher. And Oklahoma does not set a start date.


CALIFORNIA SECRETARY OF STATE REFUSES TO TALLY INDEPENDENT PARTY REGISTRATIONS

The California Secretary of State has recently refused to recognize the Independent Party as a political body. In California, a group becomes a qualified party by persuading .33% of the state’s registered voters to join the party on voter registration forms. When a group wants to become a qualified party, it notifies the Secretary of State that it desires to qualify, and notifies the Secretary of State of its officers. At that point it is a "political body", until it qualifies.

Earlier this year, the Independent Party was formed, partly to assist independent candidates. Under current law, an independent candidate for Congress and partisan state office must have "party preference: none" on the ballot. Most independents would rather have "independent" on the ballot next to their names.

If the Independent Party were ballot-qualified, then independent candidates could register into it. Then the ballot would say, "Party preference: Independent." The Independent Party has no platform.

Other states have also had ballot-qualified parties called "Independent Party" or "Independent Voters Party", that were born simply to help independent candidates to get on the ballot. At this time, there are ballot-qualified parties named "Independent Party" in Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, and Oregon. In the past they were qualified in Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Utah.

The Secretary of State does not say no party can ever be called "Independent Party." Instead he says the name "Independent Party" is too similar to the name of the American Independent Party, which has been a qualified party in California since 1968. However, the Secretary of State let Americans Elect qualify in 2011, and over the past 37 years there have been 19 political bodies with "American" as part of their name. Just a few months ago the Secretary of State let the American Freedom Party register as a political body. At one time or another, 43 states have had two parties simultaneously on the ballot that shared a common word in their names, such as "Socialist" and "Socialist Labor."

The Independent Party hopes to bring a lawsuit soon to force the state to let it be a political body. In 1896 the California Supreme Court ruled that the National Democratic Party could be on the ballot even though the Democratic Party was on. Other courts have made similar rulings. There is no reported court precedent that upholds keeping two parties off the ballot just because one word is used in both party names.

Los Angeles County has tallied the Independent Party registration to be 24,005. Assuming other counties are similar, it is likely the Independent Party has more than the required 60,000 members in the state.


LAWSUIT NEWS

Arizona: the Libertarian Party and the Green Party will file a cert petition next week, in the case over the voter registration form that gives checkboxes only to the two largest parties, even though other parties are on the ballot and have primaries.

Arkansas: on October 14, the Libertarian Party filed a lawsuit against the new law that says parties that nominate by convention must choose all their nominees (except the presidential nominee) more than a year before the election. No state before has ever had such a law. Libertarian Party of Arkansas v Martin, e.d., 4:15cv-635.

Ohio: on October 14, a U.S. District Court said that only a state court can decide whether the ballot access law passed in 2013 violates the State Constitution. The Libertarian Party argues that the law, which says new parties submit a petition by July of an election year, cannot be valid. That is because the primary in presidential years is in March, so obviously a new party is too late for the primary. The State Constitution says, "All nominations for elective state, district, county and municipal offices shall be made at direct primary elections or by petition as provided by law." The State Supreme Court ruled in the past that the clause "or by petition" only refers to independent candidates. But the U.S. District Court says this issue does not belong in federal court. The case is Libertarian Party of Ohio v Husted. The party will appeal. Another part of the case, on whether the state discriminated against the party in 2014 when it kept its gubernatorial candidate off the ballot, is still pending in U.S. District Court.

Utah: on October 23, a U.S. District Court ruled that the Republican and Constitution Parties can’t use trademark law to overturn the law on how parties nominate. But the main part of the case, on Freedom of Association, is still undecided. Utah Republican Party v Herbert, 2:14cv-876.


BALLOT ACCESS FOR 2016 REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES

State Alternative #1 Alternative #2 Election Code

Alabama

Fee of $2,500 plus 500 signatures

– –

17-13-102 & party rules

Arizona

500 signatures of party members

Already on ballot in two other states

16-242

Arkansas

Fee of $15,000

– –

7-7-301(a) & party rules

California

Discussed in the news media

Petition of 1% of registered party members

6340, 6343

Connecticut

Discussed in the news media

Petition of 1% of registered party members

9-465, 9-469

Delaware

Eligible for primary matching funds

500 signatures of party members

Title 15, 3184

D.C.

1,000 signatures of party members

– –

1-1001.05(b)(1)

Florida

Attend fundraiser Nov. 13-14

Pay $25,000

103.101 & party rules

Georgia

State party decides

– –

21-2-193

Idaho

Fee of $1,000

– –

34-732

Illinois

3,000 signatures

– –

10 ILCS 5/7-11

Indiana

4,500 signatures (500 in each C.D.)

– –

3-8-3-2

Kentucky

Fee of $1,000

5,000 signatures of party members

118.591

Louisiana

Fee of $750

6,000 signatures of party members

Tit. 18, 1280.22

Maryland

Discussed in the news media

3,200 signatures of party members

Art. 33, 8-502(c)(2)

Mass.

Discussed in the news media

2,500 signatures of party members or indps

Ch. 53, sec. 70E

Michigan

Discussed in the news media

– –

Chap. 168.614a

Mississippi

Discussed in the news media

500 signatures

23-15-1089

Missouri

Fee of $1,000

If indigent, 5,000 signatures

Tit. 9, 115.761

Montana

Eligible for primary matching funds

500 signatures

13-10-404

Nebraska

Discussed in the news media

300 signatures of party members

32-614

New Hamp.

Fee of $1,000

If indigent, 100 signatures

Tit. 53, 655:48

New Jersey

1,000 signatures of party members

– –

19:25-3

New Mex.

Discussed in the news media

15,676 signatures

1-15A-5, 1-15A-6

New York

Discussed in the news media

Eligible for primary season matching funds

Ch. 17, 2-122b

No. Car.

Discussed in the news media

– –

163-213

Ohio

Raise $5,000 from each of 20 states

1,000 signatures

3513.12,3513.121

Oklahoma

Fee of $2,500

6,000 signatures

Tit. 26, 20-102

Oregon

Discussed in the news media

5,000 signatures of party members

Tit. 23, 249.078

Pennsyl.

2,000 signatures of party members

– –

Tit. 25, 249.078

Puerto Rico

Recognized by party & submit delegates

– –

Art. 8.021

Rhode Is.

1,000 signatures

– –

17-12.1-4

So. Caro.

Fee of $40,000

– –

7-11-20 & party rules

So. Dakota

State party decides

1,955 signatures of party members

12-6-7

Tennessee

Discussed in the news media

2,500 signatures

2-5-205(a)(1)

Texas

Fee of $5,000

4,500 signatures

Party rules

Vermont

1,000 signatures plus $2,000

If indigent, fee is $300

Tit. 17, sec. 2702

Virginia

5,000 signatures

– –

24.2-545

Wash.

Discussed in the news media

1,000 signatures

29.19.030

West Va.

Fee of $2,500

– –

3-5-8

Wisconsin

Discussed in the news media

8,000 signatures

Tit. 2, sec. 8.12(1)(c)

States that don’t have presidential primaries in 2016 are Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, North Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. Although the Kentucky Republican Party says it will hold a caucus, the Kentucky Republican Party still hasn’t told the state to cancel its presidential primary; that decision won’t be made until December.

The rules for Democratic presidential primary are similar to the Republican rules listed above, except that the filing fees are lower in Arkansas, South Carolina, and Texas. In Florida, Democrats get on the ballot if the party recognizes them; there is no fee.

Republican presidential candidates in 2016 must pay $74,500 in fees if they use the alternatives in column one. Note that over half this total must be paid for the South Carolina primary. Notwithstanding the very expensive South Carolina fee, 15 Republican candidates paid it. The filing deadline has not yet closed in any other states, nor has the filing deadline in South Carolina for Democrats closed yet.


2016 PETITIONING FOR PRESIDENT

STATE
REQUIREMENTS
SIGNATURES COLLECTED
THREE TYPES OF DEADLINES
FULL PARTY
CAND
LIB’T
GREEN
CONSTI
Full Party
Pres Party
Pres. Indp.

Ala.

35,413

5,000

0

0

0

Mar. 1

Mar. 1

Aug. 18

Alaska

(est) (reg) 8,400

#3,005

already on

*350

already on

May 2

Aug. 10

Aug. 10

Ariz.

20,119

(est) #36,000

already on

already on

0

March 3

Sep. 9

Sep. 9

Ark.

10,000

#1,000

already on

already on

already on

Sep 2 ‘15

Aug. 1

Aug. 1

Calif.

(es) (reg) 61,000

178,039

already on

already on

355

Jan. 4

July 11

Aug. 12

Colo.

(reg) 1,000

#pay $1,000

already on

already on

already on

Jan. 8

Aug. 10

Aug. 10

Conn.

no procedure

#7,500

can’t start

can’t start

can’t start

– –

Aug. 10

Aug. 10

Del.

(est.) (reg) 650

(est.) 6,500

already on

already on

366

Aug. 20

Aug. 20

July 15

D.C.

no procedure

(est.) #4,600

can’t start

already on

can’t start

– –

Aug. 10

Aug. 10

Florida

be organized

119,316

already on

already on

already on

April 15

Sep. 1

July 15

Georgia

51,912

#49,336

already on

can’t start

can’t start

July 12

July 12

July 12

Hawaii

707

#4,347

already on

already on

*250

Feb. 24

Aug. 10

Aug. 10

Idaho

13,047

1,000

already on

can’t start

already on

Aug. 30

Aug. 30

Aug. 24

Illinois

no procedure

#25,000

can’t start

can’t start

can’t start

– –

June 27

June 27

Indiana

no procedure

#26,700

already on

0

0

– –

June 30

June 30

Iowa

no procedure

#1,500

0

1,200

0

– –

Aug. 19

Aug. 19

Kansas

16,960

5,000

already on

0

0

June 1

June 1

Aug. 1

Ky.

no procedure

#5,000

can’t start

can’t start

can’t start

– –

Sep. 9

Sep. 9

La.

(reg) 1,000

#pay $500

already on

already on

185

May 21

Aug. 19

Aug. 19

Maine

(reg) 5,000

#4,000

*finished

already on

0

Dec 1 2015

Aug. 1

Aug. 1

Md.

10,000

(est.) 38,000

already on

already on

0

Aug. 1

Aug. 1

Aug. 1

Mass.

(est) (reg) 45,000

#10,000

10,920

already on

96

Feb. 2

Aug. 2

Aug. 2

Mich.

31,519

30,000

already on

already on

already on

July 21

July 21

July 21

Minn.

98,770

#2,000

0

0

0

May 2

Aug. 23

Aug. 23

Miss.

be organized

1,000

already on

already on

already on

Feb. 1

Sep. 9

Sep. 9

Mo.

10,000

10,000

already on

*700

already on

July 25

July 25

July 25

Mont.

5,000

#5,000

already on

0

0

Mar. 17

Aug. 17

Aug. 17

Nebr.

5,395

2,500

already on

*600

0

Aug. 1

Aug. 1

Aug. 1

Nev.

5,431

5,431

already on

500

already on

June 3

June 3

July 8

N. Hamp.

14,556

#3,000

can’t start

can’t start

can’t start

Aug. 10

Aug. 10

Aug. 10

N.J.

no procedure

#800

0

0

0

– –

Aug. 1

Aug. 1

N. M.

2,565

15,388

already on

already on

already on

June 30

June 30

June 30

N.Y.

no procedure

#15,000

can’t start

already on

can’t start

– –

Aug. 23

Aug. 23

No. Car.

89,366

89,366

already on

5,442

0

May 17

May 17

June 9

No. Dak.

7,000

#4,000

already on

0

4,000

Apr. 16

Sep. 5

Sep. 5

Ohio

30,560

5,000

in court

already on

0

July 6

July 6

Aug. 10

Okla.

24,745

40,047

*14,500

*1,500

0

March 1

July 15

July 15

Oregon

22,046

17,893

already on

already on

already on

Aug. 30

Aug. 30

Aug. 30

Penn.

no procedure

(es) #25,000

can’t start

can’t start

can’t start

– –

Aug. 1

Aug. 1

R.I.

16,203

#1,000

0

0

0

Aug. 1

Sep. 9

Sep. 9

So. Car.

10,000

10,000

already on

already on

already on

May 8

May 8

July 15

So. Dak.

6,936

2,775

*2,000

0

*4,800

Mar. 29

Mar. 29

April 26

Tenn.

33,816

275

0

in court

in court

Aug. 10

Aug. 10

Aug. 18

Texas

47,086

79,939

already on

already on

can’t start

May 16

May 16

May 9

Utah

2,000

#1,000

already on

200

already on

Feb. 15

Aug. 15

Aug. 15

Vermont

be organized

#1,000

already on

0

0

Dec 31 ‘15

Aug. 1

Aug. 1

Virginia

no procedure

#5,000

can’t start

can’t start

can’t start

– –

Aug. 26

Aug. 26

Wash.

no procedure

#1,000

can’t start

can’t start

can’t start

– –

July 23

July 23

West Va.

no procedure

#6,705

already on

already on

*9,650

– –

Aug. 1

Aug. 1

Wisc.

10,000

#2,000

already on

already on

already on

April 1

Aug. 2

Aug. 2

Wyo.

3,302

3,302

already on

can’t start

already on

June 1

June 1

Aug. 30

TOTAL STATES ON
31
22
15

#partisan label is permitted on the ballot (other than "independent").
"CONSTI" = Constitution Party.
The number of signatures for new parties is in court in Tennessee; for independents, in New Mexico.
* = change since Oct. 1, 2015 issue.


GALLUP POLLING DECISION AND PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES

On October 7, Gallup Polls said it will no longer do polls for the major party presidential primaries. It may not do polls for the general election either. Gallup feels modern life has made accurate presidential polls very difficult to do. This determination casts doubt on the habit of debate sponsors to depend on polls, when they decide which candidates to invite.

The Commission on Presidential Debates said on September 23, 2015, that in the "near future" it will announce its rules on who can participate in its 2016 debates. However, it has not done so yet. The CPD is currently being sued by Gary Johnson and Jill Stein. The CPD response to the lawsuit will be delayed, because the CPD asked the Court for permission to file its response in December.

Free & Equal has set an inclusive presidential debate for August 30, 2016, at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles. Free & Equal invites all presidential candidates who are on the ballot in enough states to win. However, the major party nominees in the past have always signed a contract with the CPD, promising not to participate in any debates other than CPD debates. The Johnson-Stein lawsuit is based on antitrust law. On October 24, the Orange County Register (a large California newspaper) carried an op-ed by Professor Tom Campbell, an expert on antitrust law, saying the lawsuit has merit.


EMMA MAR, FIRST ASIAN TO APPEAR ON A BALLOT FOR NATIONAL OFFICE, DIES

Emma Wong Mar died on September 16 in Oakland, California, at the age of 89. She had been the Peace & Freedom Party’s vice-presidential nominee in 1984. She was the first Asian-American to appear on any general election ballot for either President or Vice-President. The presidential candiate she ran with was Sonia Johnson.


JIM WEBB MAY RUN AS AN INDEPENDENT FOR PRESIDENT

On October 20, former Jim Webb left the Democratic presidential race and said he may be an independent candidate instead.


LOUISIANA’S TWO INDEPENDENT LEGISLATORS ARE RE-ELECTED

Louisiana holds its state elections in late October in the odd years before presidential election years. All state legislators are elected to four-year terms. On October 24, a Saturday, the election was held. Both independent state representatives were re-elected. Jerome "Dee" Richard, 55th district, was re-elected unanimously. Terry Brown, 22nd district, defeated a Republican by 6,627 to 6,026.

Only two minor party candidates ran for state office. Green Party member Adrian Juttner, for Agriculture Commissioner, got 36,180 votes (3.49%) against a Republican and two Democrats. Libertarian Jason France, for Board of Education, 6th district, got 15,424 votes (11.3%) against three Republicans.


SOCIALIST PARTY NOMINATES

On October 17, the Socialist Party national convention nominated Emidio "Mimi" Soltysik for President, and Angela Walker for Vice-President. The convention was in Milwaukee.


PROHIBITION PARTY ON IN ARKANSAS

The Prohibition Party petition to place Jim Hedges, its 2016 presidential nominee on the Arkansas ballot, has been verified by the state. The petition required 1,000 signatures. This is the most difficult petition drive the party has completed since 1988.


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Comments

November 2015 Ballot Access News Print Edition — 3 Comments

  1. FYI, the National CP DOES NOT have ballot access in Oregon. The Oregon CP is affiliated with the National IAP and will be running their candidate for president.

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