Parties are ballot-qualified in Delaware this year if they have registration equal to at least one-twentieth of 1% of the state total. This year, that meant 305 registrants are needed. The deadline has passed, and the Constitution Party fell short by 17 members.
However, the Blue Enigma Party did qualify, with 311 members. That party was founded in 2008 to work for better salaries for teachers. It joins the other ballot-qualified minor parties: Independent Party, Libertarian, Working Families, and Green.
Delaware makes it difficult for any party to gain registrations during an election year. Delaware has the nation’s second most restrictive law on whether voters may change parties, in the months before a primary, and also (irrationally) in the months before a general election. There is no state interest in preventing voters from changing parties in the months before a general election, and Delaware is the only state that does that. There is an ostensible purpose to making it impossible for voters to change parties before a primary, to prevent “raiding” (insincere attempts by voters to join a political party just to manipulate who wins its primary). The only state that is more rigid about letting voters switch parties before a primary is New York.
This is a shame, but I would like to point out (as noted by Richard) that after the legislature dropped the requirement down near where it was, it was the primary season and the state would not allow voters to change parties so the only possible targets were new voters and we weren’t able to do a good enough job on that front. I can see this law for maybe 30 days or so to stabilize the registration situation before the primary election, but for several months seems excessive. We could have made it if we could have recruited folks who wanted to change parties to do so.
Oh well, we will have to roll up our sleeves and get back to work. I don’t know if we will just be shooting for the lower level (now equivilent to 305) or the amount twice that. Once we can again recruit Republicans, Democrats and Independents I believe we will get back to where we want to be.
Our CP nominated candidate for Congress, Earl Lofland, is also the nominee of the Independent Party, if my information is correct.
That is correct… Earl Lofland was nominated by the IPoD on July 29 at our 2010 Convention.
The long closed change of registration period in Delaware serves no other interest than to perpetuate the D and R duopoly in Delaware and raises fundamental constitutional questions of equal protection and freedom of association.
Wolf von Baumgart
State Chairman,
Independent Party of Delaware
ipodosc@yahoo.com
P.S.:
As the statutory deadline in Delaware for fill-in nominations is SEP 1, we still have state and county offices available.
This was a tough battle against the two major parties from the first day I decided to run for the most powerful seat in Washington DC, (in accordance to Article I of the US Constitution). Though the states political system succeeded in keeping the Constitution party from having ballot acces in Delaware, many of the Constitution Party candidates have been nominated by the Independent Party of Delaware as fusion Candidates. Allowing the CP views and Ideals to be carried over onto the IPoD ballots for the November Elections. Just because the powers that be in Delaware were able to keep the Consitution Party from ballot access this election, it has not broken the CP party of Delaware and its spirit. Instead it has awoken many people to the facts that the same corrupt and lack of fortitude in preserving the Constitution, by their public servants blatant violation of upholding their solemn oath of office has been exposed. We were able to gain at least 40 Brand new voters to the party in the short time frame we had. We will continue to strive to educate the public and draw more young voters over to the winning team as well for the 2012 elections.
In Liberty.
Earl Lofland, Kent County Delaware District Chairman
Independent Party fusion Candidate US House of Representatives (Delaware)