Justin Ashbrook has created this Change.org petition, asking CNN to include all presidential candidates who will be on the ballot in enough states to theoretically win the election, in CNN polls. Thanks to GreenPartyWatch for the link.
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Laurence Kotlikoff, an economist, author, and expert on Social Security, has launched a write-in bid for President. He intends to file for declared write-in status in all states that have such a procedure. See this story. His web page is kotlikoff2016.com.
He doesn’t seek campaign contributions, and would probably say he is running as a write-in so that he need not spend money on ballot access petitions. He is probably the best-known person ever to run for President in the general election and yet depend entirely on write-ins in all states.
Kotlikoff was also interested in running for President in 2012, and he sought the Americans Elect nomination that year. However, Americans Elect decided not to run anyone for President in 2012.
On May 19, the Oklahoma legislature passed SB 1016. It alters the voter registration forms. Applicants will still be asked to choose a party, or independent status. But there will not longer be any checkboxes for any particular party. Applicants will write in the name of the party they wish to join. Thanks to E. Zachary Knight for this news.
On May 19, U.S. District Court Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove heard Libertarian Party of Kentucky v Grimes, e.d., 3:15cv-86. The issue is Kentucky’s failure to have any procedure for an unqualified party to transform itself into a qualified party in advance of any particular election. The oral argument lasted 90 minutes and the judge indicated he will rule fairly soon. The Constitution Party is a co-plaintiff. Another issue in the case is that the only way a group can become a qualified party is by polling 2% for President; the vote for all other offices doesn’t count. There were 25 people in the audience.
Utah election officials are sending letters to all independent voters, mentioning the upcoming primary (for office other than President). The letter asks if they wish a Democratic ballot, or a Republican ballot. The letter explains that if they want a Republican ballot, their registration record will be changed to list them as a Republican. The letter does not say this about the Democratic primary, because the Democratic Party lets independents vote in its primaries.
The Democratic Party has complained about the letter. See this story.
Utah has three other ballot-qualified parties: Libertarian, Constitution, and Independent American. Technically they also nominate by primary, but there are no primary contests for those three parties, because Utah only holds primaries when two competing candidates both show substantial support at a party caucus held before the primaries. The three smaller parties didn’t have any such contests this year.