On December 20, the Arkansas Green Party submitted approximately 14,000 signatures, to gain a place on the 2012 ballot for all partisan office. 10,000 valid signatures are required. This is the fourth election year in a row in which the party has petitioned.
This Reuters story says wealthy U.S. individuals are giving significantly smaller, or fewer, donations to candidates for federal office in 2011 than they have in past years. Thanks to Chris Edes for the link.
On December 20, Rhode Island elections officials announced that the Americans Elect petition for party status has enough valid signatures. The state said Americans Elect will be added to the voter registration forms within 90 days. Americans Elect is now entitled to its own primary in Rhode Island, and any registered voter who registers with the party can run for any partisan office in the party’s primary.
Politico reports here that Newt Gingrich said publicly that he is “scrambling” to finish his petition in Virginia to be on the Republican presidential primary ballot. Virginia requires 10,000 signatures for all presidential primary candidates, more than twice as many as any other state for mandatory presidential primary access. The deadline is December 22.
Earlier this year, a bill was introduced in the Virginia legislature by a Democrat to cut the requirement in half, but the bill did not pass the legislature. Thanks to Bill Van Allen for the link.
On December 19, the Madison County, Alabama Republican Party blocked Tom Butler from getting on the Republican primary ballot for Madison County Commissioner, second district. The reason for denying him ballot access is that in the past he was a Democrat. See this story.
Butler was endorsed by Alabama’s Republican Governor, Bob Riley. Alabama does not have registration by party. For 28 years Butler served in the State Senate as a Democrat, but he says he is a Republican now. But because he can’t run in the Republican primary, he may petition to get on the ballot as an independent candidate. In 2010, State Senator Harri Anne Smith was denied the opportunity to run for re-election to the State Senate as a Republican, because she had endorsed a Democratic candidate for Congress in 2008. She then ran as an independent for re-election, and was won.
