This Concord Monitor story is mainly about whether Bernie Sanders can get on the New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary ballot, but the bottom portion of the article also discusses the Libertarian Party’s ballot access lawsuit against the New Hampshire law, passed in 2014, that won’t let new parties petition during odd years.
There have been many Libertarian Party lawsuits against various New Hampshire election restrictions during the last twenty years, but this is the first one that has had good coverage in New Hampshire’s daily newspapers.
New Hampshire is the only state in the nation in which no minor party or independent candidate lawsuit against a state ballot access law has ever won.
What ever happened to live free of die?
What ever happened to live free or die?
Good question David. My guess, based on our country’s electoral history, is that the Cold War first scared most people into only voting Democrat or Republican. The recent abandonment of ethical responsibility by the corporate mainstream news media, and the glut of Big Money over the past few years, hasn’t helped either as most people either don’t know about third parties, or think the third parties are “wasted/spoiled” votes because of such parties’ lack of attention and money.
It’s quite the vicious cycle this country has come to, and I hope people wake up before it’s too late.
Joshua H. has hit the nail on the head. It is a vicious cycle. 3rd parties/Independents can’t get the media attention they deserve, therefore the candidates get little to no exposure. Then the voters don’t recognize the 3rd party/Independent candidates even when they see their name on the ballot, and they continue on voting for either a Democrat or Republican – just like the political establishment in New Hampshire or other states – expects them to do.
I think we are at the point in the nation’s history, where the people are beginning to realize that regardless of which major party wins, nothing changes. As the number of Independent voters continue to grow – whether by poll or by actual voter registration, I believe there may come a breaking point at which these “Independent” voters take things into their hands, utilize the laws that exist to organize an “Independent Party” with a “Independent Primary,” or demand the legislatures to provide such laws.
Thanks to Richard Winger for all his years of keeping BAN active and going. He has contributed so much toward awakening the public of the discrimination against anyone who is not a Democrat or Republican. I may not live long enough to witness such on a large scale, but I do think the political landscape in America is going to change.