Jill Stein Crosses Threshold for Primary Season Matching Funds in 13 of the Needed 20 States

Posted on by January 3, 2016
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Jill Stein, the only presidential candidate other than Martin O’Malley who is actively working to qualify for primary season matching funds, has now met the legal requirement in 13 states. Candidates must raise at least $5,000 from each of 20 states. For the purpose of qualifying for primary season matching funds, only the first $250 from any single donor counts.

The Stein campaign is working on these eight states to finish the job: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Connecticut Advice to Independent Voters on How to Vote in Presidential Primaries

Posted on by January 3, 2016
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Connecticut has a closed presidential primary on April 26 for the Republican and Democratic presidential primaries. Brendan Cox, opinion page editor of The Bulletin of Norwich, has this column of advice for Connecticut independent voters. He is a registered independent himself. He points out that an independent who wants to vote in the more interesting presidential primary is free to wait until the day before the primary to join one of the two major parties. However, anyone who wants to join one of those parties as late as April 25 must do it in person at the town hall. Someone who uses the mail must make sure that the form arrives by April 21. See his column here.

American Thinker Lists States in which Non-Republicans Can Vote in Republican Presidential Primaries and Caucuses

Posted on by January 2, 2016
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Ed Straker has this list of states in which non-Republicans can vote in Republican presidential primaries and caucuses. The list differentiates between open primaries and semi-closed primaries. In open primaries, any voter can choose any party’s ballot. In semi-closed primaries, independents can choose any party’s primary ballot, but members of parties other than the Republican Party cannot.

Straker’s list has 26 states. However, the list appears to be wrong about Arizona and Oklahoma. Independents cannot vote in the Republican presidential primary in Arizona, not any Republican primaries in Oklahoma. If a similar list for Democrats were compiled, it would include California, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and South Dakota.

North Carolina Libertarian Party Puts Gary Johnson on its Presidential Primary Ballot

Posted on by January 3, 2016
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Even though Gary Johnson has not declared for the Libertarian Party presidential nomination in 2016, the North Carolina Libertarian Party has listed him in its March 15, 2016 presidential primary. The party also listed ten other candidates: Marc Allan Feldman, John David Hale, Cecil Ince, Steve Kerbel, Darryl Perry, Austin Petersen, Derrick Reid, Jack Robinson, Rhett Smith, and Barbara Joy Waymire. Here is the list for all three parties with North Carolina presidential primaries.

Rocky De La Fuente Blasts Georgia Democratic Party for Keeping Him Off Presidential Primary Ballot

Posted on by January 1, 2016
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Rocky De La Fuente has criticized the Georgia Democratic Party for not putting his name on the Georgia Democratic presidential primary. See this story. Georgia and Florida are the only two states in which there is no way to get on a presidential primary ballot if the state party leaders choose not to list the candidate. See this story.

Oddly enough, the Georgia Democratic Party did list Michael Steinberg. Steinberg will be on the ballot along with Hillary Clinton, Martin O’Malley, and Bernie Sanders. Steinberg is only on the ballot in four other Democratic presidential primaries, far fewer than De La Roque.

The Georgia Republican ballot will include Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, Carly Fiorina, Lindsey Graham, Michael Huckabee, John Kasich, George Pataki, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, Rick Santorum, and Donald Trump. This list of 13 Republicans was finalized on December 17, before Graham and Pataki withdrew. It does not include Jim Gilmore, even though he has not withdrawn.

In 1992, David Duke, who was running in Republican presidential primaries, sued Georgia and Florida over those states’ laws that let no method to get on a presidential primary ballot for candidates not chosen by the state party leaders. However, he lost both lawsuits.