In the aftermath of the November 2010 election, 35 states plus the District of Columbia have at least one ballot-qualified party other than the Democratic and Republican Parties. This is the highest such number, immediately after a midterm election, for any election since 1918.
The 15 states without a ballot-qualified party (statewide), other than the Democratic and Republican Parties, are: Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington. New Mexico is ambiguous; it has two parties that are ballot-qualified for President in 2012 but they cannot run nominees for office other than President without submitting petitions for them. Connecticut is also somewhat ambiguous, because qualified status is determined office-by-office, but there are four minor parties that are now qualified for at least some statewide offices.
Separate is NOT equal in ALL States ALL the time.
Brown v. Bd of Ed 1954
— NOT mentioned in Williams v. Rhodes 1968 and the rest of the UNEQUAL ballot access cases since Williams – a mere 42 years of stupidity and ignorance by mini-armies of MORON lawyers and the super-moron SCOTUS folks.
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We might have had all fifty states plus the territories if the various factions in the most recent Reform Party of the United States (started by the Honorable Ross Perot) had found ways to work together instead of fighting each other.
Richard. Unless my math is wrong and the statues have been changed, the Constitution Party in Alabama did receive enough votes in Baldwin County, Alabama for their congressional candidate in the 1st district, to give them the right to nominate candidates for county office in 2012. I may be wrong as you are usually the expert here.
The Constitution Party also hurt their chances (in my opinion) to have gotten more votes for their 1st district congressional candidate. Whoever filed the paperwork with the Secretary of State used the word “The” as part of the party name, and it caused them to be listed 2nd on the ballot behind the GOP. Had they known this and simply filed the party as “Alabama Constitution Party” their candidate – to my understanding – would have been listed first on the ballot in that district. Studies have been made which show many voters actually vote for the first name they find on the ballot. So who knows.
#4 The latest conversation we had with the Secretary of State attorneys is that ballot access in Alabama does not scale that way.
That is, to get access for county office in Baldwin County they would have had to run someone for county office in Baldwin Co and get 20% in *that* race, or, if they got 20% for Congress they would get access to run again for Congress, but not county or legislative office, etc.
This contradicts my previous understanding.
You may wish to ask Robert Johnston and Ed Packard if they are still there, or whoever is there now if they are not.
Regarding Alabama, in any event I was just tallying up statewide status. If I had included states in which a minor party is ballot-qualified in just part of the state, Illinois would be on the list also, because Greens are ballot-qualified in several US House and legislative districts for 2012. Although I’m not sure what the effect of 2011 redistricting will have on that status.
To Paulie Says. Thanks for the update. I most likely was wrong, yet I had understood it to be the other way too. I think it depends on who is Secretary of State, and they decides how they interpret it. I’d fight their ruling even if if takes a law suit.
The current law plainly reads: Section 17-13-40
“Political party” defined.
An assemblage or organization of electors which, at the general election for state and county officers then next preceding the primary, casts more than 20 percent of the entire vote cast in any county is hereby declared to be a political party within the meaning of this chapter within such county; and an assemblage or organization of electors which, at the general election for state officers then next preceding the primary, casts more than 20 percent of the entire vote cast in the state is hereby declared to be a political party within the meaning of this chapter for such state.
I don’t see how anyone could say – assuming the Constitution Party did get 20% or more of the vote in Baldwin County – that this statute does not mean what it reads.
Yes, Ed Packard is still there at the SOS office (as of 3 weeks ago) and is the only one who seems to be somewhat sympathic to 3rd party ballot access.
By the way, are you or others interesting in helping me get a trio of ballot access bills introduced for the Alabama 2011 Session? If so, let me know via a post on BAN, and we’ll get in contact.
“3.Phil Sawyer Says:
November 13th, 2010 at 10:24 am
We might have had all fifty states plus the territories if the various factions in the most recent Reform Party of the United States (started by the Honorable Ross Perot) had found ways to work together instead of fighting each other.”
Yes, I find that to be true as well. The Environmentalist Party had inspired MP Clint Eastwood in 1986…who inspired Perot in 1996, Nader in 1996, and many others…
Like the first Green on the ballot in 1993, my friend MP Kevin Clark (I ran as an Environmentalist, but was categorizes as independent, because they said we “don’t exist.”)
In fact, Google derived from my email address joogle@netcom.com in 1997.
It’s the perfect voting system, 1/101ths of the votes, elects one of the 100 seats, and many people love it.
People like “The King of Swing”, who is also a member.
We’re able to work as a team under that system, and still do. We welcome everyone’s name who wishes to work together in 2011;
http://www.usparliament.org/ss11-6.htm
In fact, I just received a call from MP Lloyd Lewellyn [Flying Saucer] and he looks forward to 2011 and will happily vote for many of our great choices for Prime Minister…unlike the meanie men and women, who say “NO!”.
Most in politics just blow us off with comments like …”there aren’t such things as Flying Saucers” or “… that’s fantasy!”
That’s ok, because we are correct, and they are incorrect.
Sure. 415-690-6352, travellingcircus at gmail.com
Will the gerrymander monsters in the Congress or States STRIKE BACK ???
Think Star Wars and the EVIL Empire.
See the wipeout of the third parties in 1917-1946 as being threats to the party hacks in the regime — combined with the party hack robot MORONS on SCOTUS – with their 2 party fixations.
P.R. and App.V. — before it is too late.
Is it possible to get a list of which parties have acheived ballot status in these states. which third partys look strongest at federal level based on this?
James, see
http://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/2010/11/presidential-race-2012-third-party-stats-concerning-ballot-status/
I thought that the Constitution Party of North Dakota had ballot-acess in North Dakota.
The Constitution Party of North Dakota didn’t get enough votes in 2008 to remain on the ballot.
The Dec. 1 2010 paper issue of Ballot Access News will have a 2012 petitioning chart, which will show the requirements for 2012, including the deadlines and the number of signatures for both the independent method and the party method. It will also show which parties are on the ballot for 2012. That issue will also have updated voter registration data by state for each party. And it will have the calculations showing that the vote for the office at the top of the ticket for minor parties and independents is the best for a midterm year since 1934.
#14 How many third parties and independents got wiped out by unequal ballot access laws after such 1934 vote — as being a direct threat to the Donkey / Elephant gerrymander power structure ???
Deja vu all over again — now with the Elephants in control of many minority rule gerrymander regimes ???
Yes Demo Rep, and MP Richard Winger [Libertarian] continues to perpetuate the two-party system by engaging it year after year.
Each year is like a day of building his house on the sandy beach at low tide, and the next day (year)a new high tide comes in a and he must start over because his whole foundation has been washed away again.
…poor Richard, it’s too bad he can’t figure out a better place to build a house, outside of the two-party, single winner district system.