On August 29, the three Iowa officials charged with adjudicating the challenge to the Libertarian Party’s ballot placement voted 3-0 to keep the Libertarian Party presidential ticket on the ballot. The three officials were the Secretary of State, the Auditor, and the Attorney General.
Defying conventional expectation, Matt Schultz, the Republican Secretary of State, spoke out most forcefully in defense of the Gary Johnson ballot position. And the Democratic Attorney General, Tom Miller, at first was most in favor of removing Johnson from the ballot. However, in the end, Miller agreed with Schultz. The Iowa election code does not describe or even define “convention” in the section relating to unqualified party ballot access. Schultz also pointed out that Iowa permitted Brian Moore, the 2008 Socialist Party presidential nominee, to get on the ballot using an open-air convention at which passers-by were permitted to sign the roster.
Here is a brief news story. UPDATE: here is the formal decision. Thanks to Alicia Dearn for the link to the decision.
I be d@mned. I figured the Republican on the panel would for sure vote for removal since this was a Romney camp challenge.
So now the fight is for PA and MI.
Do you think the AE line in OK will hold Richard?
Good news. And I am very pleased with the panel and the fairness they showed. If I recall, GJ has a fallback plan in Michigan (a place holder also named Gary Johnson). I saw something a few days ago that seemed to indicate that OK will hold. PA seems to be the real challenge.
YEEEAAAAAHHHHZ SOCK IT TO THOSE GOP TYRANT STATISTS!!! Whoohoo.
OK I think will stand, the real fight is in PA where more GOP statists successfully kicked Virgil Goode off of the ballot.
Awesome
#3, you’re right, except technically the Republicans didn’t kick Goode off the ballot. He withdrew.
I remain optimistic about Pennsylvania. They turned in a lot of signatures, Republican efforts to get vast amounts disqualified failed, and we’ll have enough volunteers.
BTW Richard, when I tried to post a comment on the SPUSA gaining ballot access in Florida, I was redirected to the website of some Canadian pharmacy selling Cialis.
Good on Iowa’s election officials! Unlike some, they’ve chosen to put the law over partisanship.
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