Virginia Will Use Same Abbreviation for Liberation Party and Libertarian Party Nominees

Virginia general election ballots spell out the full names of parties in the presidential part of the ballot, but for all other offices, the state only uses a single letter to identify the party name. This year, for the state offices up on November 2, 2021, the Liberation Party is on the ballot for Governor, and the Libertarian Party is on the ballot in some legislative races. The State Board has decided to identify both of the parties with just the letter “L”. See this story.

The Liberation Party had proposed its own two-letter ideas for itself, and had agreed that “L” should continue to be the Libertarian abbreviation. But the Board is sticking to a single letter, for both parties. Obviously it would be far better to use the full party name for everyone.

Hawaii also uses a single letter instead of the full party name, but at least when the Reform Party was on the ballot in Hawaii, the state used “Rf” for Reform nominees, preserving the “R” for Republicans. In Virginia in the 1990’s, the “Republican” and “Reform” problem did not arise, because before 2001, Virginia did not have any party labels or abbreviations on the ballot, except for president.


Comments

Virginia Will Use Same Abbreviation for Liberation Party and Libertarian Party Nominees — 40 Comments

  1. Any other Liberation Party candidates running aside from Princess Blanding for Governor?

  2. Ballots should not advertise the names of parties or candidates on the ballot. Offices to be filled should be listed with blank spaces for voters to write-in the name of a party or a candidate.
    The state monopoly of ballot printing should be abolished. If the state prints a ballot the content must be neutral for all parties and candidates and the voter alone deciding and indicating by their own hand what proper names will appear to be tallied.
    All laws censoring the ballot should be abolished to restore control of the ballot the each individual voter.

  3. @D. Frank Robinson… So no party proportional representation then, huh? Which is literally the fairest electoral system ever devised.

  4. IMO, each qualified party should “own” its own line on the ballot, and be able to designate whatever candidate names or party label it may choose, if any. Recall that before there were government printed ballots that got standardized in the so-called “Progressive Era” in the early 1900’s, parties printed their own ballots and provided them to voters when they entered the polling places. For non-party voters, blank ballots should be available on-line for them to fill in, print out, and bring to the polling places.

  5. PUBLIC ELECTORS / OFFICES / NOMINATIONS / BALLOTS / ELECTIONS.

    FACTIONS OF VOTERS IN PARTIES AIN’T INDEPENDENT EMPIRES.

    SEE NOW OLDE WHITE PRIMARY CASES IN SCOTUS.

  6. So obviously a party needs to qualify in Virginia that starts with a D or R since precedent has been established.

  7. The article linked in the OP says that the state board voted that the Libertarian Party will have the “L” designation and that the Liberation Party will have “LP”.

  8. @WZ,

    Who is the owner of the party who you have granted ownership of the party name to?

  9. And let the parties go back to printing their tickets – physical cards listing their candidates – for voters to use when writing them in.

  10. I agree with Frank too. Time to stop coddling voters. Whats next for the lazy voters? Come and clean their house and wash their cars? Voting should require some effort on part of the voter. Either vote in person or absentee ballot. Nothing in between.

  11. Agreed with other Frank, no gov printed ballots. I would allow early voting and mail voting though.

  12. “Who is the owner of the party who you have granted ownership of the party name to?”

    The governing body of the members of the party.

  13. @WZ,

    Who chose the governing body? What are they the governing body of? How does one become a member of this entity you refer to as a “party”? Why should this entity have the privilege of advertising on government ballots? Why should this entity have the privilege of state recognition of their political endorsements? Why should this entity have the capabilty of excluding candidates?

  14. BAAACK to having Stalin/Hitler types choose *party* candidates ???

    See current ROT in Israel – top party hack(s) picking PR list ROBOT candidates

    — in recent multiple elections.

  15. Demo Rep: I will take the political opinion of party leaders to choose candidates over the rank and file registered party voters any day.

    Not every party activist is a Stalin/Hitler types. Most are honest hearted people like yourself.

    The problem in Israel is not how candidates are chosen, but how the electorate is split 50/50 between the several Liberal and Conservative political parties so that no majority opinion can prevail.

  16. Demo Rep: because Netanyahu stayed in power so long his corruption grew. If he had been replaced much sooner he and his wife would have done less damage.

  17. Also- standard Parl sys ROT in Israel —

    copy of Brit/EURO Parl ROT –

    some top same hacks having top legis and exec power >>>> nonstop CORRUPTION.
    ——
    PR
    APPV
    TOTSOP

  18. Of course party activists should control who their nominees are. I don’t care how they do it, as long as they pay for and administer it themselves.

    The best solution is to not have a government printed ballot. If there is to be one, it should list the party of all candidates who affiliate with a party. Or better yet, just list the parties, and let the parties decide who their nominees are, either before or after the election, as they see fit.

    Some parties may choose not to bother nominating anyone unless they won that particular office, and allowing them to choose their nominees after the election solves that problem . Voters would choose the parties, and the parties would choose their nominees.

    If there is to be a gov printed ballot ,there should be an easy, uniform way to have parties as well as independent candidates qualify.

  19. ONE VOTER EQUAL NOMINATING PETITIONS —

    I NOMINATE JOHN DOE, 123 MAIN ST, BIG TOWN, BIG STATE FOR [OFFICE] AT THE [DATE] GENERAL ELECTION.

    VOTER SIG, PRINTED NAME/ADDRESS/DATE SIGNED.

    FORMS VIA MEDIA / INTERNET — GET THEM TO CANDIDATES.

  20. @Rob,

    When Texas implemented a quasi-Australian ballot, political parties printed the ballots to government specifcation. They were required to provide sufficient ballots for all voters. The ballots were required to have a write-in space for each office. A voter would be provided with the ballot of all parties who submitted ballots. They would select one ballot, edit it as desired, and place it in the ballot box.

    There was no way for an independent to run, so this system was abandoned after one election. Instead parties would provide a list of nominees and the government would print the ballots. A party column ballot could be seen as simply combining party ballots and pasting or stapling them together.

    But we could permit candidates to pay for printing their name on the ballot. This is similar to DFR’s write-in ballot, with advertisements allowed. The cost of printing one name on one ballot is likely less a penny. Perhaps a candidate could select the areas that their name would be printed on the ballot.

    There might be a tip jar at the polling place, where a voter could help defray the cost of ballot printing.

  21. Just let anyone print any ballot any way they want. However many they want. Distribute them as they see fit or just print one for an individual voter. Simple.

  22. “Who chose the governing body? What are they the governing body of? How does one become a member of this entity you refer to as a “party”? Why should this entity have the privilege of advertising on government ballots? Why should this entity have the privilege of state recognition of their political endorsements? Why should this entity have the capabilty of excluding candidates?”

    Because parties are private associations, and recognized as such by Supreme Court rulings. A private association has the right to draft its own governing documents, select its own governing bodies, and designate who may represent it, and use its name.

  23. @Rob,

    Could I print mine on stone tablets? On a board?

    Could I distribute mine along with a free lunch?

    Could I distribute mine in a stack so that they might be folded inside one another and stuffed in a ballot box?

    Could I print mine on colored paper?

    Could I disrupt the distribution of your ballots?

    Could I distribute ballots that purport to be a vote for Rob, and actually be a vote for Bob?

  24. @WZ,

    When a political party is given the right to have its nominees placed on the general election ballot it is a quasi-public body. See the White primary cases from Texas.

  25. @ Jim Riley

    Yes

    Yes

    That doesn’t make sense

    Yes

    Only if you want to get the punch in the mouth that you deserve

    Are you just assuming voters don’t read the names on the ballot?

  26. @Jim,

    May I print mine on a fish or a lemon or a pumpkin?

    If you place this nice purple sheet of paper in the ballot box, I will buy you lunch.

    I folded my ballot so people could not see who I voted for (and also to hide that I had folded ten ballots inside). You don’t know how ballot stuffing works?

    My thugs are bigger thugs than yours. Or I will offer to hand your ballots out in my neighborhood. The first house had 20 adults and a large Doberman. I gave all the ballots to the dog. May I have some more ballots?

    People are lazy. They will take my word that the vote is for Rob. If they ask, I’ll tell them that Bob is Robert’s legal name, and that Rob is just a nickname.

  27. They’re was a movie with the line IF YOU BUILD IT THEY CAN COME. I THINK IT WAS CALLED Angels in the outfield.

    Anyways. We at US Parliament are like Burger King. You can have it your way. You can build and use what ever ballet you want.

    IF YOU BUILD IT YOU CAN VOTE

    Unless you are a communist girly man neanderthal attractor who uses regime printed ballets and winner takes all system.

    If that is you then fuck yourself

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