The Lewiston, Maine Sun Journal has this story, on whether it is possible that the Libertarian Party might poll 5% for either President or U.S. Senate. If the party reached that threshold in either race, it would become ballot-qualified for the first time in Maine since 1991-1992. However, even if the vote threshold is met, the party would need to also organize a town committee in fourteen of the sixteen counties by the spring of 2013.
If the party does that as well, it would then remain on the ballot for the future if it could get its registration up to approximately 15,000. The law would require that it have at least 10,000 registrants who turn out to vote in the general election. It doesn’t matter whom they vote for, but they must vote. This rather strange law for party retention was passed a few years ago by the legislature, which wanted to accomodate the Green Party and find a means for it to remain ballot-qualified even though it might not choose to run a gubernatorial nominee.
I’d like to see the Libertarians and Greens make great gains in Maine. Have the Greens endorsed King?
Get Stein and Johnson to compete in both of Maine’s Congressional Districts. One of them might be lucky to win at least 1 of the state’s Electoral Votes.
The Maine LP obtained ballot status after the 1990 campaign of Andrew Adam received nearly 10% of the vote. This enable the Maine LP to place Andre Marrou on the ballot in 1992. Marrou did not earn the 5% needed to maintain ballot status.
At the time that Adam got his 10%, the LP had already begun the arduous petition drive to collect signatures and get on the ballot – this included organizing a county affiliate in each of the state’s 16 counties. This had enabled the party to begin enrolling voters as well, so that the party was ready and able to hold the required town meetings – over 35 were held – at least one in each of the counties. There were thousands of enrolled Libertarians at one point.
Hopefully the current Maine leadership has been planning and organizing and is ready for party status again.
The Greens have not endorsed King and their is significant resentment among many Maine Greens regarding King’s history of wind power / destruction of nature.