George F. Will has this column about U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, and the possibility that he will run for president outside the two major parties. Will says Sanders has said he might have trouble getting on ballots, and then chides Sanders, saying George Wallace got on in 1968 in all states even though Wallace had a “miniscule” budget. Will also says ballot access in 1968 for Wallace was more difficult than it is today.
Wills’ blanket statement that ballot access for a presidential candidate running outside the major parties was more difficult in 1968 than today is misleading. During the period 1969-1971, more hostile changes were made to the ballot access laws than at any other time in U.S. history, so it is certainly true that ballot access in 2015 is easier than it was in 1972. But there is a big difference between 1968 and 1972. Ballot access for president was easier in 1968 than it is today in these 19 states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. Wallace only needed 52,051 valid signatures from those 19 states, whereas in 2016 someone running outside the major parties, and using the easier method, would need 272,958 valid signatures in those 19 states (Pennsylvania’s 2016 petition requirement can’t be known now, but this calculation estimates 25,000).
Wallace didn’t need any signatures at all in Alabama, Arkansas, Hawaii, Montana, or New Mexico, because in 1968 those states let any party on the ballot with no petition; it just had to request a place on the ballot.
Will could have said that Sanders is free to seek the Green Party nomination. The Green Party is on the ballot for president in 2016 in states containing 55.4% of the total popular 2012 vote, and that percentage will rise as the Green Party completes more petitions during 2015 and 2016.
Are the numbers 52,051 and 272,958 based on registration, votes cast etc. in 1968 vs. 2015?
That is, is some of the change due to the increase in population?
Which one of these ANTI-Democracy Electoral College minority rule Prez election cycles WILL PRODUCE a Stalin/Hitler monster ???
How many TRILLIONS (not mere BILLIONS) will the Elephants give to Sanders — to — guess what —
DIVIDE and CONQUER the Donkeys ???
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P.R. and nonpartisan App.V.
Demo Rep i thought we talked about this at home. Its unproductive to ramble on, please find another site to troll. it ambassadress the family.
In States like Montana, candidates would need 500 signatures to gain access to the primary ballot.
They are numbers of signatures in those 19 states.
Sorry. The D.R. real mom has passed away.
Too many juvenile MORONS on the internet to count.
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P.R. and nonpartisan App.V. — regardless of ALL of the know-it-all juvenile MORONS on the internet.
I hope he does seek the Green Party’s nomination. He would be expected to get a lot of media attention and could pull a lot of votes from fed-up Democrats thus taking the pressure off of right-leaning independents from holding their noses and voting for the “lesser of two evils” out of fear. This would be a good thing for all independent and minor party candidates across the board.
Based on 2015 registration, votes cast, and laws? I assume that this is true for Sanders.
But what about the 52,051 for Wallace?
I think Bernie Sanders is basically a Democrat.
He’s clearly not associated with the Green Party, and he doesn’t want to be.
He should run as Green Party. He can’t win the Democratic nod, and if he goes Independent he’s spend 80 percent of his time and money just trying to get on the ballot. The Greens will be on the ballot in 40+ states in Nov. 2016.
I don’t think he’s going to run.
But if he does run he’ll just primary with the Democrats.
As a Green, I don’t really want him. He’s done nothing for the party.
I’d rather have Jill Stein again.
That is the number of signatures Wallace needed in 1968 to get on the November ballot in those 19 states. If you or anyone would like to receive a print copy of my Election Law Journal article that has the number of signatures needed to get on the ballot in all states, for all presidential elections 1892-2004, let me know. richardwinger@yahoo.com. Be sure to tell me a postal address for yourself.
While it’s true that Sanders hasn’t done anything for the party itself, if he were to run as a Green he would bring in years of governmental experience to the ticket. Stein could still run as Vice President alongside him and rally people from there, as I agree that she needs to run again. I think they would have a decent chance of getting at least the same vote totals as Ralph Nader did in his prime, possibly even 5% of the vote (especially if Hillary Clinton does indeed win the Democratic nomination, as there will be a lot of disgusted progressives and left-libertarians at that point).
The question, as it was raised by Clay earlier in this comment section, is whether Sander’s years of caucusing with the Democrats have turned him into a Democrat himself, or if he has managed to keep himself independent from them enough to consider running as a Green.
So some of the increase between 1968 and 2015 is due to an increase in the electorate, and not solely to a change in the election laws.
If the election laws had not changed, how many signatures would Sanders need?
Thank you, Jim Riley, for asking that good question…if the 1968 laws were in effect in 2016, how many signatures would someone need to get on the ballot in all 51 jurisdictions in 2016 (using the easiest method)? I calculate 935,482.
In reality, in 2016, 695,875 signatures are needed. So, ballot access laws are easier now than in 1968, and George Wills is basically correct.
For the 2016 calculation if the 1968 laws were still in effect, I find: Alabama 0, Alaska 1,000, Arizona 757, Arkansas 0, California 73,176 registrants (that would have been easier than the independent petition in effect in 1968), Colorado 300, Connecticut 15,590, Delaware 1,050, DC 23,000 estimate, Florida 89,487, Georgia 246,680, Hawaii 0, Idaho 1,500, Illinois 25,000, Indiana 6,663, Iowa 50 attendees, Kansas 2,500, Kentucky 1,000, Louisiana 1,000, Maine 6,112, Maryland 114,000 estimate, Massachusetts 64,750, Michigan 16,074, Minnesota 2,000, Mississippi 0, Missouri 27,279, Montana 0, Nebraska 750 attendees, Nevada 27,155, New Hampshire 1,000, New Jersey 800, New Mexico 0, New York 12,000, North Carolina 10,000, North Dakota 300, Ohio 0, Oklahoma 5,000, Oregon 1,000 attendees, Pennsylvania 6,250, Rhode Island 500, South Carolina 10,000, South Dakota 5,550, Tennessee 67,632, Texas 47,086, Utah 500, Vermont 1,931, Virginia 1,000, Washington 100 attendees, West Virginia 6,705, Wisconsin 3,000, Wyoming 8,255.
For the actual 2016 national figure, for California, I assume it is easier for someone to get 178,039 signatures than to get approximately 61,000 registrants. So I include the 178,039 into the national total.
Does Mr. W. have any time to eat and sleep while keeping up to date about the past stats and nonstop machinations of the robot party hack gerrymander monsters ???
If Sanders ran for the Green Party nomination in how many states would there be an actual primary? Illinois had Green primaries after Rich Whitney got over 10% of he vote for Governor, but has lost ballot status by not getting 5% of the vote in 2012 so the Illinois GP delegates to the GP national convention will support Stein, Sanders or someone without any voter input.
It is time to go a far more positive direction. One we should have went along time ago. But we were riding on lies and being controlled. We are no longer ignorant and we have several good ways to end our deepest downward spiral and get our country back from what has brought us 1% owning 99%. Yes, it is time for Sen Elizabeth Warren to leave that bought party. I have always been a democrat. The Koch brothers stuffed money in their pockets for a DASTARDLY DEED. I am voting Independent for at least the next 8 years. I am asking all my Biker, Veteran, Hippie, and the Strong & Conscientious citizens that wish, our living in a modern day dark age for the last 140 years, to END. We need 200 million voters to put Liz & Bernie where only they, have the ability with the team work of all Patriots, to go down as the finest Vice President Bernie Sanders, having his boss, Elizabeth to be the President that was not bought and served to do more good than any other before her. Any question? Terry Cook, ex-Marine, progressive inventor
thetopcatplan.com
It is the perfect time to elect Sen Elizabeth Warren & Sen Bernie Sanders as our next 8 years of Presidency.