Nine Political Parties that are Not Ballot-Qualified in California Have Asked to Have Registrations Tallied

In California and a few other states, groups that are not qualified can become qualified if they persuade enough voters to join their party on voter registration forms. Here is the list of nine groups that have asked California election officials to tally their registrants.

No group has successfully gained qualified status in California by a registration drive since 2003, when the Peace & Freedom Party (which had gone off the ballot in November 1998) gained enough registrations to re-qualify. The last time an entirely new party did a successful registration drive in California was 1995, when both the Natural Law Party and the Reform Party qualified.

For 2020, the number of registrations needed cannot be known exactly, because the law requires .33% of the total state registration. “Total state registration” for this purpose is the number of registered voters in California, not counting the small number whose party affiliation is “unknown.”


Comments

Nine Political Parties that are Not Ballot-Qualified in California Have Asked to Have Registrations Tallied — 13 Comments

  1. What – no parties [yet] for fires, floods, earthquakes and locusts [plagues] in wonderful CA ???

  2. I hope at least one of these parties is an admitted joke. An American Rhinocerous party would be amusing.

  3. The Hogwash Party has its manifesto on line, and provides a direct link to the California registration site.

    Its officers include a Head Philosdopher, Head Boar, and Vice Boar.

    If the OMRLP attempted to qualify, the SOS would likely claim it was too similar to the Democratic or Republican parties.

  4. California should reform its party qualification process, eliminating write-ins on the registration form.

    Parties could qualify similar to Florida, along with affidavits of a modest number of voters who form the party (say 50 or 100). If the party qualifies those voters would have their registration would be changed.

  5. Jim, OMRLP – Would that be the Official Monster Raving Loony Party? Lady Lily the Pink recently defeated the UKIP candidate in the the Brecon and Radnorshire by-election. I would love to see a U.S. chapter (there is only the one guy in Florida that I know of). They are 180 opposite the Replicrats. Plus, OMRLP has, or had, their Co-ALE-ition.

  6. With the CA top 2 primary —

    parties ONLY mean something for USA Prez nominations/elections ???

  7. @DR,

    Under Top 2, a party preference is a personal expression of political belief. It is thus protected 1st Amendment speech. California may not discriminate based on the popularity of that belief. They may ensure that it is accurate, which California can do by looking at the candidate’s voter registration affidavit. In California this affidavit is signed to indicate that the information is truthful and accurate. The affiant-registrant may be prosecuted for perjury.

    The former California SOS Debra Bowen misinterpreted the implementing legislation and the constitution, by restricting candidates registering a preference for other than a qualified party, to saying that they have “No Party Preference”. This is false, and could subject the candidate to prosecution on his voter registration.

    The fundamenta purpose of Top 2 was to extirpate the privilege of qualified parties to have exclusionary partisan primaries, and make partisan nominations. They could be said to “participate” in the primary by doing so.

    But imagine a child points out the window and exclaims, “I like cows!” Is the cow a participant in that transaction, no matter if it looks thoughtful chewing its cud, or flicks it tail?

  8. With the CA top 2 primary —

    parties ONLY mean something for USA Prez nominations/elections ???


    Simple child YES or NO will suffice.

    Any COWS Party in CA [yet] — to go with the Donkeys and Elephants gangs ???

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.