Alaska Libertarian Party is Probably Close to Re-Qualifying for the Ballot

Parties in Alaska are qualified in advance of a presidential election if they either polled 3% for Governor, or if they have registration equal to 3% of the total vote cast for Governor. In 2014 the Alaska Libertarian Party received over 3% of the vote for Governor, so its registration was immaterial as to qualified status in 2016.

In 2018, the party polled 1.85% for Governor, below 3%. Therefore, it needs registration of 3% of the gubernatorial vote to be qualified for 2020. As of the November 3, 2018 registration tally, it has 7,442, a slight increase from the previous months’ tally. Alaska won’t know the final vote cast for Governor until November 16. The election night total was 239,946, but that doesn’t include the absentee votes. Chances are the party will only need a few hundred more registrations in order to be qualified.

Huge Increase in Texas Petition Requirement

In 2016 and 2018, Texas required 47,086 signatures for a new party, or for a non-presidential statewide independent. But for 2020 and 2022, the requirement will be more than 83,075 signatures. The formula is 1% of the gubernatorial vote, and although the final gubernatorial vote for 2018 is not known, on election night, the number of votes cast would translate into 83,075.

The 2020 independent presidential petition will be 89,693 signatures, 1% of the 2016 presidential vote.

Kristin Olsen, a Vice-Chair of the California Republican Party and the Party’s Former Leader in the Assembly, Says Party Isn’t Viable

On November 9, Kristin Olsen, a vice-chair of the California Republican Party, and the leader of her party in the Assembly prior to the 2016 election, said in a public forum, “California Republicans aren’t a viable second party.” See this story.

UPDATE: on November 15, she published an article in Cal Matters, which the San Francisco Chronicle also carried. It can be read here, and it says, “It may be time for a third party.”

Two U.S. District Court Judges Grant Particular Kinds of Relief to Georgia Voters

On November 13, U.S. District Court Judge Leigh May issued an injunction, allowing provisional ballots to be counted even though the voter omitted the year of birth. The order applies to Gwinnett County, which had been rejecting such ballots. Martin v Crittenden, n.d., 1:18cv-4776.

On November 12, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Totenberg issued an injunction, allowing more time for provisional voters to return to the elections office and validate their provisional ballots by showing I.D. Common Cause of Georgia v Kemp, 1:18cv-5102. This case had not been filed until November 5. Thanks to Rick Hasen for news about both of these decisions.