Each state, and the District of Columbia, has its own law to determine the order of candidates on general election ballots. In 2012, there are eight jurisdictions in which a minor party presidential candidate appeared first on the ballot. Also there are nine states in which minor party presidential candidates appeared first on the ballot in some parts of the state.

The states in which a minor party presidential candidate appeared first on all ballots include five in which candidates are listed alphabetically. In Hawaii, Maine, and Massachusetts, Gary Johnson was listed first because his name came first in the alphabet, among all candidates who were on. In Nevada, Virgil Goode benefited from the same law. In Vermont, Rocky Anderson was first.

Colorado puts all major parties on the ballot in alphabetical order of party name, and the status of the Constitution Party, which is a major party because it polled over 10% for Governor in 2010, meant that Virgil Goode was listed first. It happens to be that the name of that party in Colorado is “American Constitution”, but the results would be the same if it were just “Constitution”, because “C” comes before “D” and “R.”

Utah and the District of Columbia use a random selection process to determine the order of names on the ballot, and Jill Stein was chosen to be first in both places. Oregon also uses that method, and President Obama benefited from that and was listed first.

States that rotate the order of candidates on the ballot, giving each ballot-listed candidate the top spot on some ballots, are Alaska, California, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, and Ohio. Arkansas seems to give each county discretion over candidate order, and in some counties a minor party candidate was on top. South Carolina rotates the order of parties on the ballot from one election to the next, and it just happens that in 2012, it was the Republican Party’s turn to be listed first on the ballot. Louisiana lists parties on the ballot alphabetically by party name, but of course that means the Democratic Party is always first, although the Green Party is second. South Dakota has a random selection but it happens that in 2012, the Democratic Party was first.

If anyone reading this can help me obtain a copy of a Delaware ballot, or a Hawaii ballot, please e-mail me at richardwinger@yahoo.com.

On November 6, the Vermont Progressive Party elected two State Senators and five Representatives. The winning State Senate candidates are David Zuckerman and Anthony Pollina. The winning Representative candidates are Christopher Pearson, Cindy Weed, Susan Hatch Davis, Mollie Burke, and Sandy Haas.

All seven of these candidates showed that they are Progressive Party members, by listing the Progressive Party first on the November ballot. Vermont permits two parties to jointly nominate the same candidate, and some of the Progressive Party winners were nominated by both the Progressive Party and the Democratic Party. Vermont doesn’t have registration by party. Therefore, the only objective way to know which party a particular fusion candidate belongs to is to see how the candidate chooses to be listed on the ballot.

In Vermont, when a candidate is nominated by two parties, voters can’t use their vote to show which party they prefer. The candidate only appears on the ballot once, so there is only one square on the ballot to vote for him or her. This is referred to as “aggregated fusion”. By contrast, the type of fusion used in New York, Connecticut, and South Carolina, which lets the voter choose the party, is “disaggregated fusion.”

On November 6, the Liberty Union Party of Vermont polled 13.4% for Secretary of State, its best statewide showing ever in its 42-year history. It has been on the ballot in all Vermont elections continuously starting in 1970. This year, its nominee for Secretary of State, Mary Alice Herbert, was the only candidate on the ballot against the incumbent Secretary of State, James C. Condos.

The party’s previous best showing for a statewide office had been 10.3%, for Treasurer, in 1978.

The only parties in any state, other than the Democratic and Republican Parties, who have been on the ballot continuously for a longer period are the New York Conservative Party (starting in 1962), and the American Independent Party of California (starting in 1968).

The Liberty Union Party usually chooses a presidential nominee from among the various presidential candidates of parties of the left. Its presidential nominees have been: 1972 Benjamin Spock (Peoples Party); 1976 no nominee; 1980 David McReynolds (Socialist Party); 1984 Dennis Serrette (New Alliance Party); 1988 Willa Kenoyer (Socialist Party); 1992 Lenora Fulani (New Alliance Party); 1996 Mary Cal Hollis (Socialist Party); 2000 David McReynolds (Socialist Party); 2004 John Parker (Workers World Party); 2008 Brian Moore (Socialist Party); 2012 Stewart Alexander (Socialist Party). The party was barred from the ballot for President in 2012 because of a new law that requires qualified minor parties to submit their presidential nominee no later than June, whereas qualified parties that nominate by primary have until September to make their choice.

Because Liberty Union polled over 5% for a statewide race in 2012, it will now has “major party” status again, and its own primary. It had last had that status after the 2006 election.