The Arizona petition for a new, or previously unqualified political party, is so difficult, it has not been used since 2000. The law requires 20,449 signatures, due March 6, 2008.

The Green Party of Arizona is making every effort to meet this requirement. Greens from around the U.S. have contributed $8,000, so that the Arizona Greens have been able to hire paid circulators. To increase interest, several of the Green Party presidential candidates are in Arizona on the weekend of February 23-24. On Saturday, February 23, some will be at the famous Scottsdale Parada del Sol, the world’s largest horsedrawn parade, which culminates in a mass outdoor party called “Trail’s End.” On Sunday, February 24, at 1 pm, all of the declared Green presidential candidates will also attend a party meeting at the Mesa Public Library, Saguaro Room. Ironically, these presidential candidates cannot themselves help circulate the petition, since Arizona doesn’t permit out-of-state residents to do that.

The Green Party’s party petition must succeed, if the party’s presidential candidate is to appear on the November ballot. The party cannot use the independent candidate petition procedure because the deadline for that is June 4, and the party won’t have chosen its presidential candidate until July 13. Arizona does not permit stand-in presidential candidates on the independent petition. Vice-presidential substitution is a moot point, since Arizona does not print the names of vice-presidential candidates on its November ballot. Arizona has the nation’s 2nd earliest independent presidential petition; a Nader lawsuit (filed in 2004) against that independent deadline is pending in the 9th circuit.

The Libertarian Party is the only ballot-qualified party in Arizona currently, other than the two major parties. The Constitution Party has never been on the Arizona ballot as a party, and is not attempting to get on as a party this year.