The Arkansas Project, an affiliate of the Advance Arkansas Institute, has published this column criticizing harsh ballot access laws, especially the new Arkansas law. Thanks to Andy Craig for the link.

Paul Johnson, a leader in the 2012 effort to pass a top-two initiative in Arizona, now is working on a new initiative that would remove party labels from the ballot for all office except President. He hasn’t drafted the measure yet, but already has received $100,000 from the organization called Open Primaries, which is staffed mostly by people who were once active in the New Alliance Party. See this story. One must read almost down to the bottom of the story before learning that the new initiative would remove party labels from the ballot.

One wonders why Johnson ignores far better alternatives, such as using instant runoff voting, or possibly approval voting, in the general election, and simply eliminating the primary. Or he could back an initiative for a blanket primary, which would be constitutional if the law said that its use is voluntary, and parties that don’t want a blanket primary could instead nominate by convention at their own expense.

The Socialist Party national convention convened today (October 16) in Milwaukee. On Saturday, October 17, the party will chose a national ticket. The frontrunners appear to be Emidio “Mimi” Soltysik for President and Angela Walker for Vice-President.