Here is the text of a written letter that has just been sent to all subscribers to the print edition of Ballot Access News:
“Dear subscriber, I write this letter with mixed emotions of joy and a tinge of sadness. After four decades of dedicated work as the founder and editor of Ballot Access News, I’ve decided it’s time for me to step down.
“I’m happy to say that since 1985, when Ballot Access News began, most states have improved their ballot access laws. The number of signatures to get on the ballot for president, for example (for candidates running outside the major parties) has dropped. In 1988 it was 609,048 signatures, but in 2020 it was 568,689. Also the percentage of the vote needed for a party to remain on the ballot has declined. In 1984 the median vote requirement was 5%, but today it is 2%.
“Ballot Access News will continue to bring you the content you expect. I’m pleased to announce that my friend Bill Redpath will be taking over the newsletter. Bill shares the same passion for fair ballot access laws that I feel, and he will bring a fresh perspective on how to make the newsletter more visible. In the meantime, I’ll remain involved in an advisory capacity to ensure a smooth transition. I trust that you’ll offer Bill the same support that you’ve extended to me all these years.
“A self-addressed stamped envelope is enclosed. To help plan the future, please answer the question below, and send that part of this letter back to me. Or e-mail your answers.” The bottom part of the letter asks about preference for receiving the newsletter electronically or by postal mail.
Those of you who furnish ideas and news items are encouraged to e-mail Bill Redpath, wredpath2@yahoo.com.
I am sad to see you go. Thanks for all the good work over the years.
Richard, thank you for everything you have done! Will you still be participating in COFOE?
OK Richard, sad to see you step down, but you certainly deserve it. Just don’t relax too much or one of those Murphy beds will get ya.
Richard, I want to say you’ve been by far the best news source when it comes to non-major party candidates and their struggles for ballot access fighting against the people of power in government that deep down do not believe in democracy.
Good luck in “retirement”.
Is he going to censor and push communism more than you do?
Thanks for all the help getting the Legal Marijuana NOW Party on the ballot. We couldn’t have done it without you. You’ve helped so many 3rd party and indy candidates and voters. We all appreciate it a ton.
Richard, I commend you for your long years of constant attention to ballot access. You were a expert on the subject. Thank you for publishing Ballot Access News. I have enjoyed reading it for many years, since sometime in the late 1980’s . I am glad that you are passing the editorship to Bill Redpath, who I also respect. I wish you a very pleasant and productive retirement.
Sir, a heart felt thank you to you and your hard work. I appreciate everything you have done for this country, and I wish you long, fruitful years ahead.
Kind regards and safe travels
Richard, Thank you for all your years of service in this generally underappreciated but vitally important area of the law. Without a doubt U.S. ballot access in particular, and our democracy at large, are in a much better state due to your tireless efforts. Very best of wishes in this transition. James
Richard: Thank you for your years of hard work.
Very sad to see you go ! Been coming here for years.
I have been following this website since I discovered it back in the year 2000. It has long been one of my favorite websites.
Richard, thanks for all your work over the years.
I have held you in highest regard for many, many years. Live long and prosper. I hope we meet again, Richard.
Good luck Richard. Your dedication to helping 3rd party and independent candidates get on the ballot has been appreciated, especially with the rise of the radically corrupt factions of both parties.
What will censorship policy be?
Redpath is another George Phillies. Expect harsh censorship.
THIS IS A PURGE LIST LED BY PRE SKOOOOOOLL MORONS
I HAVE A TINY PENIS
P-A-T
THANKS TO RICHARD WINGER FOR DECADES OF SHOWING THE EVIL/ROTTED UNEQUAL POLITICS IN THE USA –
BALLOT ACCESS, GERRYMANDERS, ETC.
——-
6:10 AM — ONE MORE FELON IMPERSONATION FAKE POST BY THE RESIDENT TROLL MORON PARROT.
WILL REDPATH PURGE IT OFF OF BAN ???
—-
P-A-T
I’ve been told a bunch of lawyers are on here so I was wondering how feasible it might be to copyright my name PAT and get an injunction to prevent AZ from using it or any variant thereof. Also, if he violated the injunction, if I can get one, what would be the chances of getting the FBI to arrest him for felony trademark infringement and sending him away to federal prison?
WHAT’S NEXT —
AN ATTEMPTED PAT TRADEMARK FOR A-N-Y PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL/ELECTION REFORM ???
OR EVEN ON A-L-L LETTERS / WORDS / PHRASES / NUMBERS ???
— BAAAACK TO ADAM AND EVE ???
FOR ANY NEWBEES –
P = PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION IN ALL PARTISAN LEGIS BODY ELECTIONS
A = APPROVAL VOTING IN ALL NONPARTISAN EXECS/JUDICS ELECTIONS
T = TOTAL SEPARATION OF POWERS IN ALL GOVTS
—
P AND A PENDING CONDORCET = RCV DONE RIGHT.
Richard: I have known you since 1980. You are a truly unique individual who in your life and work have made a significant difference and contribution to the cause of ballot access freedom.
So what does AZ stand for? And why would you be able to claim copyright or trademark infringement on AZ any more than on PAT? AZ is actually one less letter than PAT. You own “AZ” exactly as much as Pat owns PAT. Possibly less, if her parents actually named her Pat.
The nonsense you keep talking about the FBI arresting other people who call themselves AZ and sending them to prison is equally realistic to you being arrested by the FBI for violating the nonexistent trademark on PAT and going to federal prison. It’s never going to happen, and anyone not too dangerously mentally incompetent to be allowed outside a secure facility for the safety of themselves and others would be deeply ashamed they ever suggested otherwise, much less continue to insist it’s true no matter how many times it’s been pointed out to them.
You make many other idiotic statements like that. One stunning recent example is your repeated insistence that the biggest difference between Donald Trump and Adolf Hitler is that Trump has not been convicted or incarcerated. Hitler actually physically led the Beer Hall Putsch, whereas you have nothing but insinuations and lies that Trump ever orchestrated, ordered, suggested, or even implied anyone do anything illegal. On the contrary, he actually told his supporters to protest the election theft peacefully.
I’m sure you have some kind of weird fantasies that Donald Trump will commit genocide, crimes against humanity, and invade dozens of countries. I don’t care what keeps you up at night or helps you get to sleep, but Donald Trump was the elected President of the United States who served a term in office and handed off power peacefully just like 44 other presidents before him. He didn’t start any wars or commit any genocides or do anything near as bad as plenty of other past presidents, much less notorious foreign tyrants who killed tens of millions of people and invaded dozens of countries. He never came even close to doing anything nearly as bad as what Hitler did to get himself jailed for the beer hall putsch, much less what Hitler did when he actually held office later.
No matter how many times this is pointed out, you insist irrationally that the comparison is valid. Of course, this is one of many crAZy, idiotic, clueless, moronic things you keep insisting are true on an everyday basis. You either actually believe all this crap, in which case the biggest question is how you are not to stupid to keep breathing or die from biting off and choking on your own tongue etc, or you are the actual clueless preschool troll moron you keep saying anyone who disagrees with you is. Either way, nobody could take anything you say seriously if they aren’t either very, very dumb or not yet acquainted with just how insane and imbecilic your continuous stream of nonsense is.
Shame to see you move on, but you certainly have done a lot to bring ballot access to the forefront. I look forward to what Redpath brings to the table.
Thank you for your many years of service to the cause of free and fair elections. You’ve been instrumental in both informing people about the often rigged nature of our current electoral system, and in helping minor party and Independent candidates get on the ballot so at least some folks can exercise their fundamental democratic right to cast a vote in opposition to the ruling parties.
Thank you, Mr. Winger. Enjoy retirement and my congratulations to Mr. Redpath.
Thank you, Richard, for your efforts in increasing and documenting ballot access. You are a national treasure.
Re: Bill Redpath: I understand he is a big supporter of IRV (Instant Runoff Voting version of Ranked Choice Voting) as a former treasurer of FairVote, but I hope he will be just as open to fairly covering alternative voting systems that are not based on ranked choice, such as Score, Approval, and STAR (Score Then Automatic Runoff). I think Bill was known as “Mr. Ballot Access” within the Libertarian Party.
It’s been a great run! Thanks for everything you have done to advance the cause of fair elections and improve ballot access for those seeking to compete with the duopoly. Best of luck to you in all future endeavors.
HOW MANY ZILLION BILLS / LAWS / COURT CASES / BALLOT ACCESS STATUS TABLES / ELECTION RESULTS / BOOK REVIEWS / ETC IN BAN SINCE ISSUE ONE ???
NEED TEN PLUS FOLKS TO REPLACE MR. WINGER ???
Does that, or anything involving the insane complexity of any form of laws in modern times, seem like anything like reasonable much less best practice to anyone here? If so, how can that possibly be true? Please explain.
Richard– thank you for your excellent coverage over the years.
Is the new management publicizing any plans for changes, possible or likely changes under consideration, fora for suggestions, etc?
Thank you Richard for your long and successful tenure at Ballot Access News. You’ve been an invaluable resource to the Libertarian Party and everyone who cares about reducing ballot access barriers. Wising you all the best.
Notably as usual no one even tried to defend the insane, byzantine, Kafkaesque complexity of laws in general as a logical, rational, or best practice. How can it possibly be anything other than a case of inmates running a lunatic asylum for ignorance of the laws to be no excuse, but anything else to be impossible for all or practically all people?
Even the exceptionally rare individuals with photographic memory and perfect recall who take the time to memorize the shelves and shelves of lawbooks are still ignorant of the laws, since those laws are constantly reinterpreted and changed. Wouldn’t it be equally rational to select random people by universal lottery and subject them to various levels of protracted inconvenience, expense, punishment or even torture as a substitute for having serious consideration of other ways of doing things, just because that’s how things are already being done, and because it creates a variety of different otherwise unnecessary professions to administer various aspects of this lunatic asylum punishment lottery?
Damn. I knew that this would happen at some point soon as you are getting older, but it still is massive change. Good luck in your retirement!
Thank you for your lifetime dedication towards better ballot accessing in the United States. You gave people hope in a country that has lost its sense of direction and purpose.
I sent an email to the address mentioned in this article and I received no response.
Thank you Richard! You are passing on a brighter torch than the one you took.
Excited to see what Bill can do!
I don’t think Richard took any torch. As far as I know he started the snail mail version from scratch in the 1980s and this online interactive and more frequently updated version about 20 years later, and now its been another 20 or so years since that.
So, still not one single person willing to, defend the idea that it’s a good idea to have bookshelves after bookshelves of laws written in arcane jargon which change constantly, require a professional priesthood to interpret, reinterpret, and adjudicate the practical meaning of; more bookshelves of regulations passed by appointed bureaucrats; a dizzying array of enforcement agencies ; a variety of civil and criminal penalties, unevenly and even randomly enforced, and more professions of specialized liars and arcane jargon priests to hash out who is it isn’t guilty of what and if guilty what penalties should apply.
Much of this giant cesspool of counterproductive waste of human time, energy and talent at taxpayers expense. Is this really the best we can come up with? If so, why?