Ever since 2004, the Alaska Green Party has been in state court, arguing that the state’s definition of “party” is too stringent. As the case moves toward a trial, the state has asked the party to provide this information: (1) how many members of the Green Party are voter registrars; (2) what efforts the party has made to increase its registration; (3) how many people have attended its state conventions; (4) how many regional conventions it has held; (5) a list of all political activity the party has engaged in over the past 15 years; (6) how much money the party has raised in each year since 1996; (7) the physical address of the party’s office ever since 1990, and the phone numbers of such offices. There are other questions as well. The state also wants to see a copy of each mailing the party has made to its members over the last 10 years.

It is obvious that the state is attempting to show that the Alaska Green Party is not a “real” political party. Similar attempts were made in court in Florida in 2004 against the Reform Party, and in Arkansas in 1996 against the Reform Party. However, the Reform Party won both lawsuits.