Bills have been introduced in each house of the Tennessee legislature to ease ballot access for new and small political parties. SB 2189 and HB 2067 would lower the petition to recognize a new party from 2.5% of the last gubernatorial vote, to .5%. They also lower the vote test from 5% to 1%.

The authors are Senator Frank Niceley (R-Strawberry Plains) and Representative Bud Hulsey (R-Kingsport).

The Tennessee party petition has existed since 1972, and has never been used. Between 1961 and 1972 it was 5% of the last gubernatorial vote, and it was used once, in 1968, by the American Party, which was running George Wallace for president that year. At the time Tennessee didn’t permit independent presidential candidates, so Wallace had to create a party in order to get on the ballot.