Two Rhode Island Representatives have introduced HB 7766, to ease the definition of a qualified party. Current law says it is a group that polled 5% for either Governor or President in the last election. The bill changes that to a group that polled 2% for any statewide race, or U.S. House. Alternatively it is a group that has at least one member in the legislature; or a group that has 5,000 registered members.
The Rhode Island Libertarian Party worked to get this bill introduced. Rhode Island is one of the few states in which the Libertarian Party has never been a qualified party. The others are Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia. Also in Connecticut, Georgia, and Illinois, the party has been qualified for some offices but not all offices.
The bill’s authors are David J. Place (R-Gloucester) and Evan P. Shanley (D-Warwick).
Bipartisan support. Good job, RI LP>
“a group that has at least one member in the legislature”
Imagine a legislator who’s not running for re-election could switch to a minor party and grant them auto-ballot-access.
@AC,
It may be impossible to become a member of a non-qualified party.
Libertarians have had a member in the legislature there.
@Hi, AC,
The bill refers to being a member of a designated political party. The statutory definition of a designated party is what a voter designates on their voter registration. Rhode Island also permits independent candidates to designate their party.
The bill is likely intended to provide an alternate method of electoral success to a percentage basis, but would appear to also recognize party switchers.
The Libertarian legislator had been elected as a Republican before switching. He failed to be re-elected as a Libertarian.
A true hero. Hail!
Pat Ford, Libertarian Party Region 8 LNC Committee Republicans, former LPRI Chair.
My reading of the legislation requires you to have been an elected as a Party Member, in order to retain Party “Privileges”
Typo there?