This year, the Socialist Party used an almost-forgotten method for getting its presidential candidate on the Iowa ballot. Iowa gives statewide minor party and independent candidates a choice of either submitting 1,500 signatures, or attracting 250 voters to a meeting. The latter method seems difficult, and as far as is known, no one had used it since 1968, when it only required 50 attendees.
However, recently the Secretary of State ruled that the 250-person meeting requirement may be satisfied by holding a meeting at an outdoor location. The Socialist Party set up its meeting at an outdoor spot on the campus of the University of Iowa. That spot had lots of pedestrian traffic. Persons walking by were asked to sign, and that person was considered an attendee. Washington state has a similar relaxed attitude toward what constitutes a “meeting.” By contrast, Oregon has a very rigid idea about such meetings. Oregon has a 1,000-person attendence alternative for statewide independent candidates, but all 1,000 voters must be in a room simultaneously, or the meeting is invalid.
somebody with the party had to of done a lot of homework to figure out that way to get on the ballot. very smart
Not a meeting.
Under the law it seems to be a, ‘meeting’ and frankly I would say, good for them.
Congrats to the Socialists!
A meeting – under the electoral law of Iowa.
As Kyle said – kudos to the Socialists for having the brains to work that one out!
Very wise. They saved ALOT of time and effort.
There used to be laws like that in Nebraska too, I believe. However, at some point the number of required attendees was vastly increased (to like 500 or 1000), making it pointless. This was intended to prevent anyone from actually using it as a method to get on the ballot.
Dang, those are smart puppies. Im going to suggest the IA Green Party try this next time, no more petitioning in 105+ degree heat.
I think the only real relevance to the fact that many of our Convention attendees arrived on foot is that socialists are more environmentally conscious and less wedded to car culture than our major party opponents. We were overjoyed by the fantastic turn-out at our publicly advertised Convention at the U of I campus, and how many folks there (mostly students, but representing over 30 Iowa counties!) found it important to make their contribution to ensuring that there’s once again a Socialist Party alternative on the ballot in this year’s presidential election.
Every Convention attendee explicitly confirmed his/her desire to place the Moore/Alexander ticket on the ballot by means of Convention at the location and their desire to be counted among those attending for this purpose. Any notion that our Convention was conducted in any way other than in pristine accordance with Iowa’s statutory requirements is entirely false. Every aspect of our process to qualify for the Iowa ballot, from the definitions and precise details of statutory wording relating to the Convention’s operation, to the finer details of filing documents, was not only in full and unambiguous compliance with the statute, but continuously clarified by the exceptionally hard-working and responsive Iowa Secretary of State’s Office, as a result of our constant calls to them to ensure that we dotted every ‘i’ and crossed every ‘t.’
Iowa should be commended on broadly allowing this kind of process for placing candidates on the ballot by means of the people coming together to affirm their support and assert such a directive to the state from the bottom up by establishing a grassroots rallying point through which a widely shared political perspective can become a recognized political body. The fact that a socialist party would prefer such a method is not simply a result of quantitative calculations. The goal of making democracy a part of daily life, largely through political assembly of the active people, is at the core of our identification as socialists.
The primary basis on which this effort was so successful is that the SP maintains a great deal of public support in Iowa City; as past demonstrated not only by our equal success with the IA petitioning method for presidential ballot access the last time we attempted to qualify there in 2000, but even more directly by Socialist Party candidate Karen Kubby having been elected to the Iowa City Council from 1989 until retiring in 2000 and having received the highest vote totals of any candidate in the Iowa City Council’s entire history. Whether our efforts are focused on presidential elections or city council elections, when the Socialist Party engages in electoral politics in Iowa City, it breaks new records!
The Nebraska law required 750 attendees. It was so tough, Nebraska was one of the 3 states in which Henry Wallace couldn’t get on in 1948. In 1969 the legislature abolished it, thank goodness.
It would be interesting to find out what their definition of “room” is. Must it be part of a larger structure? Must it have four walls, a floor and a ceiling? Construted of what materials etc.?
I think you should keep your success under your hat for now.
What if someone finds a way to over turn it wirh all yout btagging?
Cool it
I’m certainly not voting socialist, but diversity is the spice of life! Let everyone on the ballot. I think that’s a beautiful thing, and kudos to those who are steadfast enough in their convictions to research and execute this, even while I may disagree with them as to the perfect form of government.
-bw
Why not sponsor or promote a concert?
Concerts draw people and they are meetings, are they not?