This Gadsden (Alabama) Times article says that last week, Bill Armistead, chair of the Alabama Republican Party, wrote all Alabama Republican legislators and asked them not to support SB 15. SB 15 lowers the number of signatures for independent candidates and newly-qualifying political parties.
The letter says that minor party and independent candidates should be kept off the ballot because “they can’t win”. However, in May 2011, in a special legislative race for the State House, district 105, a Constitution Party nominee did get on the ballot and polled 46.02% of the vote in a two-person race. Also in 1988 the Libertarian Party elected a nominee to local partisan office in Lee County, and in 1994 the Patriot Party elected a County Commissioner in a partisan election in Greene County.
It is especially egregious for the Republican Party of Alabama to oppose letting independent and minor party candidates on the general election ballot, because the Alabama major parties have the statutory right to block anyone from running in their primaries if the party feels that the candidate is not “loyal” to that major party. Every year, either the Alabama Republican Party, or the Alabama Democratic Party, blocks candidates from its primary ballot because it doesn’t like their political behavior. In Alabama, candidates running in partisan primaries file with the party, not with elections officials. Thanks to Joshua Cassity for the link.
Just awful! Sounds a lot like the old Soviet system except they dispensed with the charade of two parties standing for the same thing and streamlined it into only one. Probably saved them tons of money on ballots and stuff!
Candidates from a minor party or are an Independent will probably not win, if they are banned from the election ballot. This may be the goal of the Alabama GOP in this particular case. Or am I being too cynical?
Some people seem to be of the mistaken belief that the right to vote only means “the right to vote for the other guy’s candidate.” This is not the case.
Legal qualifications to citizens to vote and to be voted for, to form/support political parties and interest groups and to have/to express political beliefs should be kept to a bare minimum.
Beyond religious freedom, these voting/political activities are at the central heart of the First Amendment…and hopefully people do not believe that religious freedom only means “the right to attend your neighbors Church.”
Chairman Armistead,
I am aware that the GOP won several elections in 2010 by less than 1000 votes or 5% percentage points. Your attack on minor parties, will now make the state Constitution Party plan to seek ballot access in each of these races. I am sure your comments will be used for future growth of the state party so for that I am thankful.
Joshua Cassity
Chairman
Constitution Party of Alabama
How did the AL GOP get on the ballots the FIRST time ???
By the point of Union Army bayonets in 1866 — after the horrific 1861-1865 Civil War ???
What year did the GOP become a gang of tyrants ??? — perhaps in reaction to Donkey tyrants in 1932.
Since there are many districts in Alabama where Democrats won’t win, and others where Republicans won’t win, perhaps they will be kept off the ballot there.
Sorry – I meant “can’t” win.
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Mr. Armistead must have not taken any government courses when he was in high school and/or college, or else he would know that 3rd parties in the United States have often run candidates “knowing they can’t win” but rather to use the election process to get new ideas and differing viewpoints to the voters which the Democrats and Republicans refuse to address. It is so obvious that the leaders of both major parties think they know what is best for the voters, and 3rd partisans and independents need to keep their views to themselves.
I agree with Joshua (post 3)in his letter to Mr. Armistead, that this kind of attitude will only solidify and motivate the 3rd party movement in Alabama.
I call upon all 3rd partisans and Independents in Alabama to temporarily join together under a 3rd party label and using the tough but not impossible current ballot access law, nominate candidates who will concentrate on ballot access reform, stressing to the voters that the Democrats and Republicans both are afraid for the voters to have other views presented to them.
While many voters may not agree with the political positions of 3rd party candidates or Independents on many issues, most voters agree that all candidates should have the right to run candidates for public office. If we can get the message out that many Democrats and Repubicans officials work behind the scenes to keep other candidates off the ballot, there is a potential of winning over sympathic voters.
I trust we’ll all join together and do something, rather than “moan and groan.”
Any takers?