January 2017 Ballot Access News Print Edition

Ballot Access News
January 1, 2017 – Volume 32, Number 8

This issue was printed on white paper.


Table of Contents

  1. TEN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS TRY TO USE INDEPENDENT JUDGMENT; SEVEN SUCCEED
  2. LAWSUIT NEWS
  3. 2016 U.S. HOUSE VOTE
  4. 2016 U.S. SENATE VOTE
  5. 2016 GUBERNATORIAL VOTE
  6. 2016 PRESIDENTIAL VOTE FOR TOP EIGHT CANDIDATES
  7. MINOR PARTY NON-PARTISAN WINS
  8. GREEN BEATS GOP IN D.C.
  9. LIBERTARIANS IN TWO-WAY RACES CARRY COUNTIES IN TWO STATES
  10. GREENS AGAIN WIN PRESIDENCY OF AUSTRIA
  11. LIBERTARIANS GAIN A COUNTY LEGISLATOR IN ILLINOIS
  12. SUBSCRIBING TO BAN WITH PAYPAL

TEN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS TRY TO USE INDEPENDENT JUDGMENT; SEVEN SUCCEED

On December 19, the presidential electors met in their state capitols. History was made:

1. Seven people got electoral votes for president, the most since 1796: Donald Trump 304; Hillary Clinton 227; Colin Powell 3; one each for John Kasich, Faith Spotted Eagle, Ron Paul, and Bernie Sanders.

2. Seven people got votes for vice-president, the most since 1872: Michael Pence 305; Tim Kaine 224; Elizabeth Warren 2; one each for Maria Cantwell, Carly Fiorina, Susan Collins, and Winona LaDuke.

3. Seven presidential electors voted for someone who had not won the popular vote in that state. This is the highest number of such electors, for president, in history. The prior number, six, was in 1808.

4. For the first time, there were such electors from both major parties.

5. For the first time ever, some duly-elected electors were removed for voting for someone who had not won the popular vote in that state. This happened in Colorado and Minnesota. Never before had an elector been unseated because of whom he or she voted for. Also, in Maine, after an elector had voted for someone who didn’t win the popular vote in his state, he was threatened with prosecution, but a re-vote was held, and he changed his vote.

6. For the first time ever, lawsuits were filed to determine whether presidential electors have the power to vote for any person who meets the constitutional qualifications to be president. No such lawsuits had ever before been filed, because in the past, there had been no need for them. These cases are now pending in U.S. District Court in California, Colorado, and Washington.

Colorado

Before the college met, four electors had said they might not vote for Hillary Clinton, not because they were opposed to her, but to serve as examples for Republican electors around the country who might be persuaded not to vote for Donald Trump. On December 6, two of the Colorado Democrats, Polly Baca (a former State Senator) and Robert Nemanich, filed a federal lawsuit, asserting that the Secretary of State had threatened them with removal if they didn’t vote for Hillary Clinton. Baca v Hickenlooper, 1:16cv-2986. The law says that electors must vote for the candidate who won the popular vote, but sets out no penalty if they don’t. It also says that electors must take an oath before voting, but doesn’t say what the oath should say.

The Secretary of State then said that the oath he would administer would require electors to vote for the popular vote winner, and that if any elector broke the oath, the elector might be prosecuted for perjury.

On November 12, U.S. District Court Judge Wiley Daniel, a Clinton appointee, ruled from the bench that the plaintiffs were engaging in a "political stunt" and that he would not give them any relief. He did not issue any written opinion.

The plaintiffs appealed to the Tenth Circuit, no. 16-1482. On December 16, it refused injunctive relief. But it suggested that states cannot remove electors just because they vote for someone other than the popular vote winner: "Whether the statute affords the State with authority to remove an elector after voting has begun is not a question that has been posed by plaintiffs…We deem such an attempt by the State unlikely in light of the text of the Twelfth Amendment."

Footnote three says, "This is not to say that there is no language in Article II or the Twelfth Amendment that might ultimately support plaintiffs’ position." The order quotes a 1952 U.S. Supreme Court decision, Ray v Blair, 343 U.S. 214, hat elector freedom to vote for anyone is "implicit in the text" of the Constitution.

The Tenth Circuit judges were Mary Beck Briscoe, a Clinton appointee; and Carolyn McHugh and Nancy Moritz, Obama appointees. The decision does not say which judge wrote it.

On December 19, presidential ballots were handed out to all the electors, pre-printed with a single checkbox, listing Hillary Clinton’s name. Although the two plaintiff electors dutifully voted for Clinton, another elector, Michael Baca, a 24-year-old Denver resident, scratched out Clinton’s name on his ballot and wrote in Bernie Sanders. The Secretary of State then ejected him from the table, and the other electors chose a replacement for him. Baca never had a chance to vote a vice-presidential ballot.

On December 21, the U.S. District Court explained in writing why no injunctive relief had been given. Judge Daniel wrote a harsh order, not mentioning anything the Tenth Circuit had written. Daniel wrote, "For reasons that do not make a lot of sense to me, Plaintiffs do not want to do what they pledged to do…The public interest tilts substantially in favor of the public expecting and requiring the electors to do what they agreed to do."

On December 21, Secretary Williams said he would refer Baca for prosecution for perjury. It is thus clear that the lawsuit will not be deemed moot, although it also seems obvious that the state will win in District Court.

Maine

Democratic elector David Bright voted for Bernie Sanders for president and Tim Kaine for vice-president. His ballot was ruled out of order. Maine law requires electors to vote for the popular vote winner, but has no explicit penalty for those who don’t. However, Bright was told that there is a generic election law that might apply, and that his vote might be a misdemeanor. The group then took a re-vote, and this time Bright voted for Clinton.

Hawaii

Democratic elector David Mulinix had watched the Maine proceedings on television, hours before the Hawaii meeting. After he saw that Maine elector Bright had been pressured to change his vote, Mulinix resolved to vote for Bernie Sanders to compensate for what he felt to be an injustice. Like Maine, Hawaii also has a law telling electors to follow the popular vote but like Maine, Hawaii has no penalty. Mulinix voted for Sanders for president, and Elizabeth Warren for vice-president. His vote was accepted.

Minnesota

Democratic elector Muhammad Abdurrahman voted for Bernie Sanders for president and Tulsi Gabbard for vice-president. Minnesota law says if an elector votes for someone other than the popular vote winner, he or she is deemed to have resigned and be replaced by the other electors. The other electors proceeded to replace him.

Texas

Two Republican electors voted for someone other than Donald Trump. Christopher Suprun had already said that he would not vote as expected. He voted for John Kasich for president and Carly Fiorina for vice-president. Elector Bill Greene had not said anything in advance, but he voted for Ron Paul for president and Mike Pence for vice-president. Texas has no law telling electors how to vote, but legislators say they will pass such a law in 2017.

Washington

Four Democratic electors voted for someone other than the popular vote winner. Robert Satiacum, who had said publicly that he would vote for someone else, voted for Faith Spotted Eagle for president, and Winona LaDuke for vice-president. Both are women active in the Native American and environmental movement. Levi Guerra, a 19-year-old woman, voted for Colin Powell for president and Maria Cantwell for vice-president. Bret Chiafalo voted for Powell for president and Elizabeth Warren for vice-president. Esther John voted for Powell for president and Susan Collins for vice-president.

Washington law says electors who don’t vote for the popular vote winner will be subject to a fine of up to $1,000. The Secretary of State says she will ask for prosecution.

Chiafalo and Guerra had filed a federal lawsuit on December 8, Chiafalo v Inslee, w.d., 2:16cv-1886. They argued that the law telling them they had to vote for the winner, or be fined, is unconstitutional. U.S. District Court Judge James Robart, a Bush Jr. appointee, issued a neutral order on December 14, saying there is no need for injunctive relief because it was just speculation that the electors were going to break the law, and even if they did, it was also just speculation that they would be fined. On December 16 the Ninth Circuit issued a one-paragraph order, agreeing. Now that the Secretary of State plans to administer fines, that will guarantee that this case won’t be considered moot. The Ninth Circuit case number is 16-36034.

California

On December 9, one elector, Vinz Keller, sued to overturn the law requiring electors to vote for the winner. Keller v Brown, n.d., 5:16cv-7069. It is assigned to Judge Edward Davila, an Obama appointee. On December 16, the judge said there is no need for injunctive relief because any harm is speculative. California has no penalty for electors who disobey the law.


LAWSUIT NEWS

New Hampshire: on December 2, the First Circuit upheld the law that makes it illegal for a group to circulate a petition (to put a new party on the ballot) during odd years. Libertarian Party of New Hampshire v Gardner, 15-2068. The decision doesn’t explain what harm it would do to let the petition circulate in odd years. The decision merely says it isn’t difficult for a group to do the petition in even years, even though that means either the petition must circulate in winter weather, or that it must be completed in four months.

Oklahoma: on December 13, U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Friot upheld the number of signatures for an independent presidential candidate. De La Fuente v Ziriax, w.d., 5:16cv-914. The judge said the law has been upheld before. That is true, but when it was upheld in the past, the party petition required more signatures than the independent petition. That is no longer true; the party petition is now 24,745 but the independent petition is 40,047. The decision did not mention precedents that the independent petition can’t be harder than the party petition.


2016 U.S. HOUSE VOTE

~

Dem.

Repub.

Libertar.

Green

Wk Fam

Constin

other (1)

other(2)

indepndnt

Alabama

622,631

1,223,019

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Alaska

111,019

155,088

31,770

0

0

0

0

0

9,093

Arizona

1,034,707

1,264,378

0

110,815

0

0

0

0

0

Arkansas

111,347

760,415

196,512

0

0

0

0

0

0

Calif.

8,624,432

4,682,033

0

0

0

0

0

0

107,553

Colorado

1,263,791

1,288,618

143,388

5,641

0

0

0

0

0

Conn.

916,815

558,162

4,957

11,895

73,324

0

9,972

0

0

Del.

233,554

172,301

6,436

8,326

0

0

0

0

0

D.C.

265,178

0

18,713

14,336

0

0

0

0

0

Florida

3,985,050

4,733,630

9,395

0

0

0

0

0

109,166

Georgia

1,373,520

2,071,372

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Hawaii

316,265

85,626

6,601

0

0

0

0

0

4,381

Idaho

208,992

447,544

0

0

0

25,005

0

0

0

Illinois

2,810,536

2,397,436

0

33,437

0

0

0

0

0

Indiana

1,052,901

1,442,989

162,460

0

0

0

0

0

0

Iowa

673,969

813,153

15,372

0

0

0

0

0

10,866

Kansas

317,635

694,240

74,227

0

0

0

0

0

86,760

Kentucky

516,904

1,248,140

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Louisiana

564,064

1,198,764

19,945

6,717

0

0

0

0

14,766

Maine

386,627

357,447

276

0

0

0

0

0

0

Maryland

1,636,200

962,088

60,492

44,405

0

0

0

0

0

Mass.

2,344,518

451,121

27,511

0

0

0

0

0

97,395

Michigan

2,193,980

2,243,402

131,155

44,624

0

18,919

18,018

4,088

16,610

Minn.

1,434,590

1,334,686

0

0

0

0

28,869

57,911

0

Miss.

449,896

680,810

20,868

0

0

0

15,085

8,696

6,918

Missouri

1,041,306

1,600,524

96,492

8,136

0

3,605

0

0

0

Montana

205,919

285,358

16,554

0

0

0

0

0

0

Nebraska

221,069

557,557

9,640

0

0

0

0

0

0

Nevada

508,113

498,104

10,206

0

0

32,366

0

0

29,708

N. Hamp.

336,451

316,001

5,507

0

0

0

0

0

57,885

N. Jersey

1,821,620

1,541,631

36,712

4,047

0

5,938

4,254

0

49,109

N. Mex.

436,932

343,123

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

N. York

4,194,478

2,136,607

0

28,189

192,343

0

336,605

179,221

28,683

No. Car.

2,142,661

2,447,326

8,471

0

0

0

0

0

0

No. Dak.

80,377

233,980

23,528

0

0

0

0

0

0

Ohio

2,154,523

2,996,017

0

27,353

0

0

0

0

32,584

Okla.

305,222

781,691

29,687

0

0

0

0

0

16,644

Oregon

1,026,851

730,894

18,784

24,736

0

0

78,154

27,978

0

Penn.

2,625,157

3,096,576

22,245

0

0

0

0

0

0

R.I.

263,642

141,324

0

0

0

0

0

0

25,195

S.Car.

767,627

1,177,365

14,745

12,671

12,504

5,103

19,606

0

0

S.Dak.

132,810

237,163

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Tenn.

814,181

1,493,740

32,141

0

0

0

0

0

50,993

Texas

3,160,535

4,877,605

360,066

130,254

0

0

0

0

0

Utah

356,290

710,656

16,296

0

0

26,078

0

0

4,850

Vermont

264,414

0

0

0

0

0

29,410

0

0

Virginia

1,859,426

1,843,010

0

0

0

0

12,866

0

23,714

Wash.

1,736,145

1,404,890

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

W.Va.

224,449

445,017

16,883

0

0

0

0

0

0

Wisc.

1,379,996

1,270,448

54,993

16

0

0

0

0

62,639

Wyoming

75,466

156,176

9,033

0

0

10,362

0

0

0

TOTAL

61,584,781

62,589,245

1,712,061

515,598

278,171

127,376

552,839

277,894

845,512

The "other(1)" column for U.S. House is: Ct. & Or., Independent Party; Mi., Working Class; Mn., Independence; Ms., Reform; N.J. & N.Y., Conservative; S.C., American; Vt., Liberty Union; Va., Indp. Green. "Other(2)" is: Mi., Natural Law; Mn., Legal Marijuana Now; Ms., Veterans; N.Y., Independence 92,107, Women’s Equality 45,960, Reform 41,147; Or., Progressive.


2016 U.S. SENATE VOTE

~

Democratic

Republican

Libertarn.

Green

Constit.

Wrk Fam

Indepnce

other

indepndnt

Alabama

748,709

1,335,104

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Alaska

36,200

138,149

90,825

0

0

0

0

0

45,561

Arizona

1,031,245

1,359,267

0

138,634

0

0

0

0

0

Arkansas

400,602

661,984

43,866

0

0

0

0

0

0

California

12,244,170

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Colorado

1,370,710

1,215,318

99,277

36,805

0

0

0

9,336

0

Conn.

920,766

552,621

18,190

16,713

0

87,948

0

0

0

Florida

4,122,088

4,835,191

196,956

0

0

0

0

0

147,425

Georgia

1,599,726

2,135,806

162,260

0

0

0

0

0

0

Hawaii

306,604

92,653

6,809

0

9,103

0

0

1,393

0

Idaho

188,249

449,017

0

0

41,677

0

0

0

0

Illinois

3,012,940

2,184,692

175,988

117,619

0

0

0

0

0

Indiana

1,158,947

1,423,991

149,481

0

0

0

0

0

0

Iowa

549,460

926,007

41,794

0

0

0

0

17,649

4,441

Kansas

379,740

732,376

65,760

0

0

0

0

0

0

Kentucky

813,246

1,090,177

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Louisiana

695,288

1,185,889

15,437

0

0

0

0

0

37,021

Maryland

1,659,907

972,557

0

89,970

0

0

0

0

0

Missouri

1,300,200

1,378,458

67,738

30,743

25,407

0

0

0

0

Nevada

521,994

495,079

0

0

17,128

0

0

6,888

24,948

N.Hamp.

354,649

353,632

12,597

0

0

0

0

0

17,742

New York

4,775,604

1,720,492

48,036

113,179

0

241,381

150,457

330,264

0

No. Car.

2,128,165

2,395,376

167,592

0

0

0

0

0

0

No. Dak.

58,116

268,788

10,556

0

0

0

0

0

0

Ohio

1,996,908

3,118,567

0

88,246

18,620

0

0

0

170,443

Oklahoma

355,911

980,892

43,421

0

0

0

0

0

0

Oregon

1,105,119

651,106

23,941

48,823

0

61,915

0

59,516

0

Penn.

2,865,012

2,951,702

235,142

0

0

0

0

0

0

So. Car.

704,540

1,241,609

24,830

14,872

12,652

37,610

0

11,923

0

So. Dak.

104,140

265,516

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Utah

301,860

760,241

0

0

0

0

0

27,340

0

Vermont

192,243

103,637

0

0

0

0

0

3,241

14,379

Wash.

1,913,979

1,329,338

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Wisc.

1,380,335

1,479,471

87,531

0

0

0

0

0

0

TOTAL

51,297,372

40,784,703

1,788,027

695,604

124,587

428,854

150,457

467,550

461,960

The other column for U.S. Senate is: Co., Unity; Hi., American Shopping; Iowa, New Indp. Party; Nv., Socialist; N.Y., Conservative 264,430, Independence 149,417; Women’s Equality 44,817; Reform 17,680; Or., Independent; S.C., American; Ut., Independent American; Vt., Liberty Union.


2016 GUBERNATORIAL VOTE

~

Democratic

Republican

Libertarian

Green

Constitution

other

independent

Delaware

248,404

166,852

4,577

5,951

0

0

0

Indiana

1,235,503

1,397,396

87,025

0

0

0

0

Missouri

1,277,360

1,433,397

41,154

21,088

0

0

30,019

Montana

255,933

236,115

17,312

0

0

0

0

N.Hamp.

337,589

354,040

31,243

0

0

0

0

No. Car.

2,309,157

2,298,880

102,977

0

0

0

0

No. Dak.

65,855

259,863

13,230

0

0

0

0

Oregon

985,027

845,609

45,191

0

19,400

47,481

0

Utah

323,349

750,850

34,827

0

0

15,912

0

Vermont

139,253

166,817

0

0

0

8,912

0

Wash.

1,760,520

1,476,346

0

0

0

0

0

W. Va.

350,408

301,987

15,354

42,068

4,041

0

0

TOTAL

9,288,358

9,688,152

392,890

69,107

23,441

72,305

30,019

The other column for Governor is: Or., Independent; Ut., Indp. American; Vt., Liberty Union.


2016 PRESIDENTIAL VOTE FOR TOP EIGHT CANDIDATES

~

Clinton

Trump

Johnson

Stein

McMullin

Castle

La Riva

De La Fue.

Alabama

729,547

1,318,255

44,467

9,391

?

?

?

?

Alaska

116,454

163,387

18,725

5,735

?

3,866

?

1,240

Arizona

1,161,167

1,252,401

106,327

34,345

17,449

1,056

?

29

Arkansas

380,494

684,872

29,829

9,473

13,255

4,613

0

0

Calif.

8,753,788

4,483,810

478,500

278,657

39,596

?

66,101

?

Colorado

1,338,870

1,202,484

144,121

38,437

28,917

11,699

531

1,255

Conn.

897,572

673,215

48,676

22,841

2,108

147

41

12

Del.

235,603

185,127

14,757

6,103

706

74

3

3

D.C.

282,830

12,723

4,906

4,258

?

?

?

?

Florida

4,504,975

4,617,886

207,043

64,399

?

16,475

?

9,108

Georgia

1,877,963

2,089,104

125,306

7,674

13,017

1,110

?

?

Hawaii

266,891

128,847

15,954

12,737

0

4,508

0

0

Idaho

189,765

409,055

28,331

8,496

46,476

4,403

?

1,373

Illinois

3,090,729

2,146,015

209,596

76,802

11,655

1,138

?

?

Indiana

1,033,126

1,557,286

133,993

7,841

?

1,937

?

21

Iowa

653,669

800,983

59,186

11,479

12,366

5,335

323

451

Kansas

427,005

671,018

55,406

23,506

6,520

646

7

3

Kentucky

628,854

1,202,971

53,752

13,913

22,780

438

?

1,128

Louisiana

780,154

1,178,638

37,978

14,031

8,547

3,129

446

0

Maine

357,735

335,593

38,105

14,251

1,887

333

?

?

Maryland

1,677,928

943,169

79,605

35,945

9,630

566

48

14

Mass.

1,995,196

1,090,893

138,018

47,661

2,719

?

?

?

Michigan

2,268,839

2,279,543

172,136

51,463

8,177

16,139

?

?

Minn.

1,367,716

1,322,951

112,972

36,985

53,076

9,456

12

1,431

Miss.

485,131

700,714

14,435

3,731

?

3,987

?

644

Missouri

1,071,068

1,594,511

97,359

25,419

7,071

13,092

?

6

Montana

177,709

279,240

28,037

7,970

2,297

296

?

1,570

Nebraska

284,494

495,961

38,946

8,775

?

?

?

?

Nevada

539,260

512,058

37,384

0

0

5,268

0

2,552

N. Hamp.

348,526

345,790

30,777

6,496

1,064

?

?

678

N. Jersey

2,148,278

1,601,933

72,477

37,772

?

6,161

1,682

1,838

N. Mex.

385,234

319,666

74,541

9,879

5,825

1,514

1,184

475

N. York

4,547,562

2,814,589

176,296

107,762

10,367

896

174

35

No. Car.

2,189,316

2,362,631

130,126

12,105

?

?

?

?

No. Dak.

93,758

216,794

21,434

3,780

?

1,833

?

364

Ohio

2,394,164

2,841,005

174,498

46,271

12,574

1,887

?

?

Okla.

420,375

949,136

83,481

0

0

0

0

0

Oregon

1,002,106

782,403

94,231

50,002

?

?

?

?

Penn.

2,926,441

2,970,733

146,715

49,941

6,472

21,572

?

?

R.I.

252,525

180,543

14,746

6,220

?

?

?

671

S.Car.

855,373

1,155,389

49,204

13,034

21,016

5,765

0

0

S.Dak.

117,458

227,721

20,850

0

0

4,064

0

0

Tenn.

870,695

1,522,925

70,397

15,993

11,991

1,584

?

4,075

Texas

3,877,868

4,685,047

283,492

71,558

42,366

4,261

?

?

Utah

310,676

515,231

39,608

9,438

243,690

8,032

?

883

Vermont

178,573

95,369

10,078

6,759

642

63

327

1,063

Virginia

1,981,473

1,769,443

118,274

27,638

54,054

?

?

?

Wash.

1,742,718

1,221,747

160,879

58,417

?

17,623

3,523

?

W.Va.

188,794

489,371

23,004

8,075

1,104

3,807

2

3

Wisc.

1,382,536

1,405,284

106,674

31,072

11,855

12,162

?

1,502

Wyoming

55,973

174,419

13,287

2,515

?

2,042

?

709

TOTAL

65,844,954

62,979,879

4,488,919

1,457,045

731,269

202,977

74,397

33,136


MINOR PARTY NON-PARTISAN WINS

The last issue listed the partisan wins for minor parties in the November 2016 election. Here are the wins in non-partisan races:

Constitution Party: Bruce Johnson, Dakota Co., Minnesota, Soil & Water Board; Adam Toone, Morgan Co., Utah, School Board.

Green Party California wins: Bastiaan Hoeks, Nevada Co. Mystic Mine Community Services Board; Bruce Delgado, Mayor, Marina; James Rhodes, Santa Cruz Co. La Selva Beach Board; Jason Jones, Nevada Co., Union Hill School Board; Abe Powell, Montecito Fire District; Kimberly Petersen, Geyserville School Board; Laura Peters, Placer Co., Irrigation Board; Matthew Clark, San Mateo Community Services Board; Randy Marx, Fair Oaks Water District; Ruscal Cayangyang, Vallejo School Board.

Green Party other wins: Kim O’Connor, Hillsborough Co., Fla. Soil & Water Board; Lena Buggs, Ramsey Co., Mn., Soil & Water Board; Sharon LeMay, same; Steve Laitinen, Anoka Co., Mn., Board.

Libertarian Party: Ruth Bennett, Green Valley School Board, Az.; Jonathan Hall, Tehachapi Water Board, Ca.; Susan Weber, Palm Desert city council, Ca.; Brian Holtz, Los Altos Hills Water Board, Ca.; Wallace Stewart, Vista Fire Board, Ca.; Matthew Bymaster, Palm Beach Co. Soil & Water Board, Fl.; Jared Grifoni, Marco Island city council, Fl., Maynard Meyer, Madison Mayor, Mn.; Cara Schulz, Burnsville city council, Mn.; Ben Backus, Gering city council, Ne.; Larry Bush, Jarrell Mayor, Tx.; Jessica Abbott, Virginia Beach city council, Va.


GREEN BEATS GOP IN D.C.

The Green Party nominee for city council-at-large in Washington, D.C., in November 2016, outpolled the Republican nominee. G. Lee Aikin, the Green, received 29,165 votes; the Republican received 28,823.


LIBERTARIANS IN TWO-WAY RACES CARRY COUNTIES IN TWO STATES

In November 2016, Libertarian nominees for statewide state partisan office carried two counties in Georgia, and two counties in Washington. In Georgia, where Libertarian Eric Hoskins was the only opponent to a Republican for Public Service Commissioner, Hoskins carried Clayton and DeKalb Counties and received 1,200,076 votes.

In Washington, Libertarian Joshua Trumbull was the only opponent to the Democratic incumbent Attorney General. Trumbull carried Stevens and Lincoln Counties and received 979,105 votes. Trumbull is the first non-major party member to appear on a Washington general election ballot for statewide partisan office other than President, since the state started using top-two in 2008. Luckily for him, he was one of only two candidates who filed to be on the primary ballot.


GREENS AGAIN WIN PRESIDENCY OF AUSTRIA

On December 4, Austria held a presidential run-off election for the second time this year. A member of the Green Party, and past chair of the party, Alexander Van Der Bellen, won. There were two elections because the first election, which had been extremely close, was set aside because there were voting irregularites.


LIBERTARIANS GAIN A COUNTY LEGISLATOR IN ILLINOIS

On December 5, Jim Byrne, a member of the Kankakee County Board, in Illinois, told the press that he had joined the Libertarian Party. He had just been re-elected to a four-year term as a Republican the month before. Illinois voter registration forms do not ask the applicant to choose a party, so party membership in-between primary elections is determined by how an individual defines himself or herself.


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Comments

January 2017 Ballot Access News Print Edition — 9 Comments

  1. 1) In Tennessee’s 8th District there was a CP candidate for Congress who got one percent of the vote. 2) When can we see the percentages by state for president?

  2. Thanks for telling me about the Tennessee candidate. Because Tennessee forces all minor party candidates to be on as independent, it isn’t easy to know when third party candidates for non-presidential office are on in Tennessee. What is the name of the candidate?

  3. His name is Mark Rawles. I heard there was also a Green Party candidate running in the state for Congress, but I can’t confirm it.

  4. Seven presidential electors voted for someone who had not won the popular vote in that state. This is the highest number of such electors, for president, in history.

    What about 1872? Most of the electors from the states where Horace Greeley won the popular vote didn’t vote for him in the electoral college because he had died between Election Day and the electoral vote.

  5. The people who didn’t vote for Greeley don’t really count, because Greeley was dead. In fact, the 3 Georgia electors who voted for Greeley had their votes rejected because Greeley was dead.

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