The Arkansas Secretary of State has checked the Green Party’s ballot access petition and found it sufficient.  The party needed 10,000 valid signatures and submitted 14,207.  The Secretary of State says there are 11,505 valid signatures, for a validity rate of 81.0%.

This is the third election year in a row that the Green Party has successfully completed this petition.  The only other party that ever completed it was the Reform Party, in 1996.

Arkansas did not require any petition for a party to appear on the ballot until 1971.  Parties merely had to hold a nominating convention and certify the names of the nominees to the Secretary of State, before 1971.

The Arkansas Green Party is currently in court, not against the 10,000 signature petition, but against the state law that says a party should lose its qualified status after a presidential election if it doesn’t poll as much as 3% of the vote for President.