Houston Chronicle Op-Ed Discusses Libertarian Party Presidential Election History

Posted on by May 14, 2019
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Joshua Spivak has “Why Joe Biden Needs Libertarians” in the Houston Chronicle.  The article sets forth the history of the third party and independent presidential candidates who polled significant shares of the vote.  It says that both Republican and Democratic presidential campaigns in 2020 need to woo the type of voters who vote Libertarian.

The piece has some errors.  It says that Eugene Debs got 6% of the vote for president as the Socialist Party nominee in 1920.  Actually he got 6% in 1912.  In 1920 he got slightly less than 3%.

It says the Libertarian Party has run a presidential candidate in every election starting in 1980.  Actually the party has run in every presidential election starting in 1972.  Thanks to Political Wire for the link.

Pennsylvania Bill for a Semi-Closed Primary Has Substantial Support, According to Newspaper Story

Posted on by May 13, 2019
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Pennsylvania has closed primaries.  Senate Bill 357 would let independent voters choose which primary to vote in.  According to this newspaper story, the bill has substantial support.  So far it has not moved, and is in the Senate State Government Committee.

The newspaper story says the bill would set up an “open primary”, but that is not correct.  “Open primary” has been defined in political science textbooks for over a century, and in U.S. Supreme Court opinions since 1972, as a system in which all voters may choose any party’s primary.  Most southern states are open primary states.  Typically, open primary states have a voter registration application that does not ask the applicant to choose a party, because there is no need for that information in an open primary system.

Here is the text of SB 357.

South Carolina Legislature Adjourns; Many Election Bills Failed to Pass

Posted on by May 13, 2019
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The South Carolina legislature adjourned on May 9.  Many election law bills failed to pass.  They include bills to abolish fusion; a bill to require convention nominees to pay a filing fee; a bill to set a maximum of $2,500 for filing fees for presidential primaries; bills to close primaries; bills to have South Carolina join the National Popular Vote Compact; a bill to make Treasurer an appointive position; a bill to delete the straight-ticket device. and a bill to move the non-presidential primary from June to May.

Current law lets parties set any filing fee they wish for presidential primaries.  The Republican Party charged $40,000 in 2016.  The Democratic Party caps its presidential primary filing fees at $2,500.

 

New York Bill to Remove Party Emblems Has Passed Both Houses of the Legislature

Posted on by May 13, 2019
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New York Senate Bill 2300 has passed both houses of the legislature.  However, the versions of the bill are not the same in each house, so the bill still must pass the State Senate again.  It removes party emblems, also known as party logos, from general election ballots.

Removing the emblems will make it possible for the ballot to be structured in clearer format.

Assuming the bill becomes law, the only states that will continue to print party logos on ballots will be Alabama, Delaware, Indiana, Kentucky, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.  The last states to remove logos were Michigan, Missouri, Utah and West Virginia.