The Pacific Green Party of Oregon didn’t run any statewide candidates in 2010, so it can only be on the ballot in 2012 if it gets its registration up to one-half of 1% of the state total by mid-2012. Just prior to the 2010 election, one-half of 1% was 10,332 registrants, and at that time the Pacific Green Party had 8,710 registrants. Therefore, the party, to be safe, need another 2,000 registrants.

The party has printed up 10,000 copies of a brochure designed to encourage voters to register into the party. The party will be distributing them in various ways, especially at places where large numbers of people congregate. Thanks to Blair Bobier for this news.

The party did have four candidates for U.S. House in 2010, and they averaged almost 2% of the vote. The Oregon vote test is 1%. However, the Oregon vote test, for statewide status, only applies to statewide candidates.

Last month, a ballot access reform bill, HB 32, was introduced in the North Carolina House. A similar bill will be introduced in the Senate this week by Senator Andrew Brock (R-Mocksville).

The U.S. Supreme Court will consider whether to hear Cao v Federal Election Commission, 10-776, at its March 18 conference. This is the case in which the Republican Party and former Congressman Joseph Cao hope to expand the party’s ability to spend greater amounts of money supporting their own nominees, even if there is limited coordination between the party and the nominee.