Back in 1990, Tony Mazzocchi, a prominent labor leader in the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union, founded the Labor Party.  It is running its first candidate for partisan office this year, for the South Carolina legislature.  That candidate is Brett Bursey.  Here is his web page.  He is running in State House district 69, centered on Lexington, in the center of the state, west of Columbia.  The district is currently represented by a Republican who is not running for re-election.  Both major parties also have a candidate in the 69th district this year.

The Labor Party became ballot-qualified in South Carolina in 2006, by turning in a petition signed by 10,000 registered voters.  Because it turned the petition in so late in the year, it was not permitted to run any candidates in 2006.  Parties in South Carolina remain on the ballot by running at least one candidate every four years, so Bursey’s candidacy keeps the Labor Party on the ballot in South Carolina for another four years.

Unlike the Working Families Party, the Labor Party does not believe in ever cross-endorsing major party nominees.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has had all the briefs in Carl Stevenson’s ballot access case since September 8, but it has still not issued a ruling.  This is the very interesting case that challenges the in-district residency requirement for circulators for minor party and independent petitions.  The in-district residency requirement was held unconstitutional in 2002 in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.  The law was enjoined permanently.  Nevertheless, this year, the Commonwealth Court kept Carl Stevenson, an independent candidate for the legislature, off the ballot because his petition was circulated by someone who didn’t live in his district.

The ACLU is handling the appeal.  The State Elections office had submitted an amicus to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, saying that it is neutral, but explaining to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court that it is an awkward position, enforcing a law that has been declared void.

On September 17, the California Secretary of State released a new voter registration tally, as of September 3.  The previous California registration tally had been as of May 24.  Between May 24 and September 3, the parties that increased their share of the registration are the Republican, American Independent, and Libertarian Parties.  Parties that decreased their share are the Democratic, Green, Peace & Freedom, and Reform Parties.  All of these parties are ballot-qualified except for the Reform Party.

The May 24 results had been:  Democratic 44.49%, Republican 30.80%, American Independent 2.34%, Green .664%, Libertarian .511%, Peace & Freedom .333+%, Reform .140%.  The September 3 results are:  Democratic 44.32%, Republican 30.94%, American Independent 2.35%, Green .658%, Libertarian .515%, Peace & Freedom .333-%, Reform .139%.

Independent voters were at 20.17% in both tallies.  The number of people registered in other unqualified parties went up, from .559%, to .574%.

The Constitution Party is now a political body in California.  This means that it requested elections officials to tally how many people are registered in the Constitution Party, and it identified its state officers.  Members of the American Independent Party faction that is loyal to the national Constitution Party registered the name “Constitution Party” as a political body, just to preserve rights to the name, although there is no effort being made to increase the number of voters registered “Constitution.”  The Registration tally says the Constitution Party has 72 registrants.  Here is a link to the Secretary of State’s Report of Registration.