California Legislature Passes Bill on How Presidential Candidates Get on Presidential Primary Ballots

On July 11, the California legislature passed SB 505, the bill that sets forth the rules on how a candidate gets on a presidential primary ballot. This bill has nothing to do with presidential tax returns; that is another bill, SB 27.

Current law says the Secretary of State shall put recognized candidates on presidential primary ballots, but does not set forth any details about how the Secretary of State decides who is “recognized.” This bill sets forth very lenient rules, although assuming the bill is signed into law, it will require presidential candidates to apply. The existing law does not even require them to apply.

The bill says anyone can get on a presidential primary ballot if he or she is already on the presidential primary ballot of at least one other state. This part of the bill will greatly expand the number of candidates who can be expected to be on a California presidential primary ballot. Every presidential election year, the New Hampshire Democratic and Republican presidential primary ballots have many candidates. All New Hampshire requires is $1,000; there is no petition. In 2016, there were 30 candidates on the New Hampshire Republican ballot, and 28 on the Democratic ballot. All the people who file in New Hampshire can now apply to be on a California presidential primary ballot, and there is no filing fee in California.

Also under the California bill, someone who is seeking the nomination of the Peace & Freedom, American Independent, Green, or Libertarian Party can be on a presidential primary ballot of one of those parties, if the party approves, and the candidate has a campaign webpage. Assuming Governor Gavin Newsom signs SB 505, California will probably have the largest number of presidential primary candidates in its history in 2020.


Comments

California Legislature Passes Bill on How Presidential Candidates Get on Presidential Primary Ballots — 5 Comments

  1. With the mainly PR in The 2020 RED Donkey national convention delegates- lots of HACK extremists will be showing up – esp from RED CA.

    NO primaries and conventions.

    PR and Appv and TOTSOP – NOW Life or Death.

  2. The language of SB 506 defines which candidates are advocated for or recognized as candidates, and therefore under terms of the California must be placed on the primary ballot. SB 27 contradicts this by saying it applies, notwithstanding any other law. It in effect says that the constitution should be ignored.

    SB 506 permits the candidate website to be hosted by the political party. So a party could name its candidates, and provide a webpage, and request that the candidate be placed on its ballot. The candidate simply has to submit that to the SOS.

    Dear Alex Padilla,

    Place Candice Candidate on the Wee Party primary ballot.

    Her candidate webpage is http:/weeparty.us/cancan

    cc: Candice Candidate.

    Candidate Candidate can simply file her copy with the SOS.

    SB 506 would also permit a candidate to appear on multiple primary ballots, so long as the candidate filed the correct form. In 2016, this would have permitted Jill Stein to appear on both Green and P&F ballots had she filed the paperwork.

  3. https://ballotpedia.org/Democratic_delegate_rules,_2020

    Mere 495 CA Donkey delegates – of the above est 4,532.

    100-200-300-400-more Donkey Prez candidates on CA Prez primary ballots ???

    Ho many bribes/threats for each who gets ANY 2020 Convention delegates ???

    Stay tuned.

    Abolish the EC.
    NO extremist primaries and conventions
    Ballot access only via equal nom pets/filing fees.
    PR and AppV and TOTSOP.

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