Indiana Constitution Party Activist May Have Found a Sponsor for a Ballot Access Reform Bill

Posted on by November 28, 2012
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A Constitution Party activist in Indiana has located a Republican State Senator who may be willing to introduce a bill to ease ballot access. If you wish to work with this activist, his e-mail is ConstitutionalCraig@yahoo.com.

Indiana is one of only two states in which no statewide minor party or independent candidate petition has succeeded, since 2000. It is one of only four states in which Ralph Nader never got on the ballot, even though Nader is the person who placed third in three elections in a row (2000, 2004, and 2008). Indiana has never had an independent candidate on the ballot for Governor or U.S. Senator. It is one of five states in which the Constitution Party has never placed its presidential nominee on the ballot (the others are Arizona, Oklahoma, North Carolina, and Georgia). And yet, Indiana is the only state with bad ballot access that has not even had any bills to improve ballot access introduced during the last decade.

Casper, Wyoming Star-Tribune Article on Wyoming Ballot Access

Posted on by November 28, 2012
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The Casper, Wyoming Star-Tribune has this article about Wyoming’s restrictive ballot access laws. The article focuses on the plight of the Country Party, which went off the ballot even though it polled 2.5% for U.S. Senate. The vote test for a party to remain ballot-qualified is 2%, but in presidential years, the only office that counts is the U.S. House race, and the Country Party did not poll as much as 2% for that office.

The article is generally accurate and sympathetic. However, it is in error when it says Montana requires a petition of 5% of the last vote cast. Instead, Montana requires 5,000 signatures for a newly-qualifying party, which is fewer signatures that Wyoming requires for 2014; furthermore Montana has almost twice Wyoming’s population. Also the article’s mention of Louisiana is misleading. Louisiana does not keep congressional or presidential candidates off the November ballot. Louisiana has no primaries and holds its general elections in November (for federal office).

Constitution Party’s Presidential Vote in Seven States was its Highest Presidential Vote Ever

Posted on by November 28, 2012
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Virgil Goode polled more votes in seven states than any previous Constitution Party presidential nominee. Those states are Colorado, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, and Wyoming.

The Constitution Party has never placed its presidential nominee on the ballot in North Carolina, but Goode’s write-in total of 619 is higher than any previous write-in total for the party’s presidential nominee in that state. Thanks to Kevin Hayes for the North Carolina figure.

Georgia Ballot Access Request for Reconsideration is Still Pending, Four Months After it was Filed

Posted on by November 27, 2012
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The Green Party of Georgia, and the Constitution Party of Georgia, challenged Georgia’s ballot access procedures for presidential candidates on May 25, 2012. U.S. District Court Judge Richard W. Story dismissed the case on July 17, without even waiting for the state to answer the Complaint. He said the case couldn’t possibly win because the U.S. Supreme Court decision in 1971 in Jenness v Fortson foreclosed the issue.

Jenness v Fortson did not concern presidential ballot access, so the parties asked for reconsideration on July 24. It has now been more than four months and Judge Story has not acted on the request for reconsideration. It is rare for requests for reconsideration to be pending for more than a month.

The case is Green Party of Georgia v Kemp, northern district, 1:12-cv-1822.

Phoenix New Times Wonders if Arizona Green Party Legislative Candidate got a Boost from His Name

Posted on by November 27, 2012
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The Phoenix New Times has this article about the results of the November 2012 election for Arizona State House, 16th district. The district covers Mesa and Apache Junction. Each Arizona House district elects two representatives. The returns are: Doug Coleman (Republican) 41,063; Kelly Townsend (Republican) 40,720; Matthew Cerra (Democrat) 24,942; Bill Maher (Green) 9,094.

The reporter speculates on whether Bill Maher got a relatively big vote because voters confused him with the famous comedian and movie-maker Bill Maher. However, the real reason the Green Party candidate got so many votes is that the Democrats only ran one nominee in this district, although they were free to have run two.