Arizona election law requires parties to have registration of two-thirds of 1%, on November 1 of odd years, in order to remain on the ballot for the coming even year.
The Secretary of State of Arizona has still not posted the November 1, 2007 registration tally, and she says she won’t do it until February. Nor will she release it over the telephone. However, she has already posted the January 1, 2008 data, even though that data has no legal significance (although, of course, it is interesting).
The Libertarian Party (the only ballot-qualified party in Arizona other than the two major parties) seems to have enough registrations, based on information gathered painstakingly from the 15 county elections offices. The party’s percentage appears to be .689%, and the party’s total appears to be 18,544.
The Constitution Party of Arizona has tentatively decided not to petition for ballot status, because of a lack of funds to hire petition circulators. New parties need 20,449 valid signatures on a petition by March 6. That deadline is probably unconstitutional, should anyone challenge it. The Arizona primary (for office other than president) is in late August, so that deadline seems excessively and needlessly early.
Thanks to Michael Kielsky for obtaining the hard-to-get registration data for Maricopa County, which has over half the state population. Also thanks to the other county elections officials, who took the trouble to find this data, even though they are very busy preparing for the presidential primary on February 5.
Aren’t there two factions of the AZLP, one that takes matching funds and the other that doesn’t?
Which faction is this and is the other one also on the ballot, or do they no longer exist?
That faction fight was over by 2003. The unified party does accept the money that comes to the party from state income tax forms, since it is the taxpayer’s money, not out of the state treasury.
But individual candidates who run in Arizona Libertarian primaries don’t generally take candidate “clean elections” money.
A couple of years ago, on Veterans Day, the Reform Party USA had a national convention in Yuma Arizona. Arid Zona reform party officials in the Shawn O’Hara, John Blare, John Bambey mode could have been the miracle in the desert.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Bible Thumper Bambey held a ‘unconventional’ convention in his vacant Sacramento [California] flat. With three non reform party members/ guests hovering around a speaker phone a confab [of sorts] was held. [Like the ‘rump’ conventions of 2005, Atlanta and Saint Petersburg, meeting minutes have yet to be forthcomming!]
Yes, non Dems and non GOPs have a [n unconstitutional] different row to hoe. But the blatant truth is that the O’Hara, Blare, Martin, Bambey so called reform group is not ballot accessed in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Kansas, Mississippi! Same for the Charles Fosterites of Texas and Michigan! FLorida has serious Reform Party candidates and office holders
As a centerist, middle of the road minor party, the Libertarians are light years ahead of the group that garnered almost 20% of the P1992 popular vote!
The Libertarian Party is a significant and influential political party of the United States which was founded in the year 1971. It is the third biggest U.S. political party which is very much active till date and has more than 200,000 registered voters under its banner. The Libertarian Party strongly supports the cause of libertarianism with minimum government intervention in different fields, more civil liberties and respects the idea of free trade between different foreign nations.