On June 20, the ElectionLawBlog carried my guest commentary, criticizing California’s independent presidential petition procedure. It requires almost 200,000 signatures, to be collected in 105 days. Furthermore the petition can’t start to circulate until after the presidential candidate has chosen 54 presidential elector candidates, because their names and addresses must be squeezed onto all the petition forms.
The procedure is so difficult, no one has used it in 30 years.
Ralph Nader tried to do it in 2004, but his campaign ended up canceling it because it looked like they were not on track to make it.
California is a large state. It makes sense. McMuffin started his campaign too late. That’s on him.
Thank you Richard. Maybe they will read it and take some action to improve it.
How soon before only RED commies remain in CA to eat each other ???
and demand bailouts from Devil City ???
California does not have a procedure for independent presidential candidates, but rather has a procedure for a slate of independent elector candidates. If all agree on a presidential candidate that name may appear on the ballot.
How many days to collect signatures is reasonable?
I see no rationale for controlling when a petition can start to circulate. Most states don’t care how early it starts. Petitioning is free speech activity, and why should the government tell anyone when it can start? And California doesn’t control how early a petition or a registration drive for a new party can start. It took the Libertarian Party 7 years to finish its registration drive in California, from 1972 thru 1979.
Does California allow candidate substitution on independent presidential candidate petitions? I do not think they do.
No, California doesn’t allow substitution for independent presidential petitions.
Is that why you hate free speech?
Why is Richard Winger against free speech?
Democrats hate free speech for some reason.
Communists hate free speech for some reason.
The far left hates free speech. Richard is far left.
Just look at how embarrassing IPR has become.
NON-incumbent candidates declaration date — incumbents week earlier.
NO changes.
End the corruption of an incumbent not running again but having his/her hack run – often a relative.
All part of the Model State Const — MSC.