The New York Times has this graphic, showing that only 9% of U.S. residents voted for either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump in the 2016 major party nomination procedures (caucuses and presidential primaries). The graphic would be better, though, if it excluded children and non-citizens. Thanks to Political Wire for the link.
Arizona is one of eleven states that lists all the ballot-qualified parties on the state income tax form, and lets taxpayers send a small donation to the party of their choice. Americans Elect went off the Arizona ballot in November 2015, so it was still listed on the tax forms that were returned by taxpayers during the first half of 2016. Oddly enough, contributions to Americans Elect in 2016 rose more than for any other party, on a percentage basis, even though Americans Elect doesn’t exist any more.
The amounts given to the five qualified parties of Arizona during 2015 were: Democratic $8,137; Republican $4.096; Libertarian $444; Green $220; Americans Elect $174.
The amounts given during 2016 have been: Democratic $10,370; Republican $5,070; Libertarian $359; Green $561; Americans Elect $561.
See this story, which says that Nina Turner, a former Ohio state legislator, and until very recently an active supporter of Bernie Sanders, may accept the Green Party vice-presidential nomination.
The Green Party national convention starts August 6 in Houston. Thanks to Phil Huckelberry for the link.
The Reform Party national convention of July 30 has voted to postpone the choice of a presidential nominee until August 8. The party is likely to nominate the presidential candidate who has qualified for the most state ballots by then, or the person who has promised to do the most to rebuild the party.
Even though the new national chair of the Reform Party (effective January 1, 2017) is from New York, it appears the ballot-qualified Reform Party of New York will not place the nominee chosen by the national convention on the New York ballot. The New York Reform Party feels obliged to nominate Donald Trump for President. This is partly because the origin of the New York Reform Party in 2014 was with Republican Party activists, who put the party on the 2014 ballot with the name “Stop Common Core Party.” After it got over 50,000 votes for Governor in 2014, it changed its name to the Reform Party. The Republican activists who created the party in New York in 2014 still have some sway over the party.
The Missouri Green Party expects to submit over 25,000 signatures to the Secretary of State on Monday, August 1, the deadline. The requirement is 10,000 signatures. Assuming the petition is valid, this will be the first time the Green Party has been on the ballot for President in Missouri since 2000.
Except for the Arizona and Illinois Green Parties, the Missouri petition has the greatest number of signatures the Green Party will have collected in any state to get on the ballot in 2016.
