So far, no independent candidate or minor political party has managed to overcome any petition requirement greater than 5,000 signatures, during the period starting in March 2020. This statement might cease to be true if Kanye West is able to collect 37,769 valid signatures in Arizona, which he is attempting to do.
This year, there will be one independent, two Libertarians, and one Green on the Illinois ballot for U.S. House. Illinois has 18 districts. This paltry number of candidates shows that the normal Illinois requirements for U.S. House are far too severe. This year, the requirement was only 10% of the normal statutory requirement of 5% of the last vote cast. Even reducing the requirements to only 10% of normal still resulted in just four candidates.
Furthermore, the Green was not required to petition, because under the court order that limited petitions to 10%, minor parties that had been on the ballot in either of the two previous election in the same U.S. House district did not need any petition. The Greens have had qualified party status in the Fifth District in every election starting with 2008.
The four candidates are independent Tracy Jennings in the Seventh District, Libertarians Bill Redpath (6th district) and Preston Gabriel Nelson (8th district), and Green Thomas J. Wilda in the Fifth District. Redpath was challenged but he survived the challenge. Jennings and Nelson were not challenged.
The New Hampshire Libertarian statewide petitions have now been checked by various town clerks, and it appears they have enough valid signatures. Because of the July 28 court victory, the requirement this year is 1,950 instead of 3,000.
No other presidential candidate petitioned in New Hampshire this year. The only qualified parties are the Republican and Democratic Parties.
The New Hampshire news means that it is virtually certain the Jo Jorgensen will be on the ballot in all 51 jurisdictions. Her Rhode Island petition is still proceeding, but the deadline is not until September 4. The Rhode Island requirement is 1,000. The party has about 700 gross signatures.
On August 24, the California legislature passed SB 970, which moves the primary in midterm years from March to June.
The Miami Herald has this op-ed in opposition to the Florida initiative for a top-two system for state office. The authors are Elizabeth Strom, Associate Professor of Public Affairs, and Susan Smith, president emeritus of the Democratic Progress Caucus of Florida.
