Twelve Parties Win At Least One Seat in British House of Commons

The United Kingdom held a House of Commons election on July 4. This wikipedia article shows that 12 parties won at least one seat. Scroll down quite a ways. One seat is still not decided as of Friday morning.

The English-Welsh Green Party won four seats, up from just one. The only reason this blog post singles out the Green Party is that there is an equivalent party in the United States.

British ballot access is equal and lenient. Candidates for House of Commons get on the ballot with 500 pounds and ten signatures. Great Britain does not suffer from crowded ballots. The typical district has fewer than eight candidates on the ballot.

June 2024 Ballot Access News Print Edition

MINNESOTA SUPREME COURT REMOVES LEGAL MARIJUANA NOW PARTY FROM THE BALLOT

On May 10, the Minnesota Supreme Court issued an opinion in Martin v Simon, A24-0216.  It immediately removes the Legal Marijuana Now Party from the ballot, even though the party has already had a government-administered presidential primary this year and was about to have a primary for Congress and partisan state offices on August 13.  The deadline for candidates to file in that primary is June 4.

The Legal Marijuana Now Party was the only ballot-qualified party in Minnesota, other than the Democratic and Republican Parties.  It was on the ballot because it had polled over 5% for U.S. Senate in 2020.  The law says when a party passes the vote test, it is on the ballot for the next two elections.  Last year the legislature increased the vote test from 5% to 8%, but made that effective after November 2024, so the party was on the ballot until the Minnesota Supreme Court removed it.  Now Minnesota becomes one of only twelve states with no ballot-qualified third parties.

The lawsuit had been filed by officers of the Minnesota Democratic Party.  The basis for the decision is that the Legal Marijuana Now Party’s internal structure does not meet the requirements of state law.

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Second Circuit Upholds Discriminatory Campaign Finance Laws

On July 3, the Second Circuit issued an opinion in Upstate Jobs Party v Kosinski, 21-2518.  It upholds New York campaign finance laws that allow qualified parties to make unlimited contributions to their own nominees in the general election, but does not permit unqualified parties to do the same.  The decision also upholds New York laws that allow individuals to contribute twice as much money to the nominee of a qualified party as to the nominee of an unqualified party.

Here is the opinion.  It is authored by Judge Debra Ann Livingston, a Bush Jr. appointee.  It is also signed by Judge Reena Raggi, a Bush Jr. appointee; and William J. Nardini, a Trump appointee.

The case had been filed in 2018 by the Upstate Jobs Party, which has never been a qualified party.  It can’t ever be a qualified party because its policy is not to run for statewide office.  Because New York law defines a party as a group that polled a certain share of the vote for President or Governor, it can never qualify.  When the lawsuit was filed, the definition of a party was substantially easier than it is now, but the panel did not mention that point.

New Mexico Secretary of State Says Free New Mexico Party and Kennedy Petitions Have Enough Valid Signatures

The New Mexico Secretary of State’s office says the Free New Mexico Party petition, and the Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. petition, have enough valid signatures.  The independent petition for Cornel West did not have enough signatures.

The Free New Mexico Party is the affiliate of the national Libertarian Party in New Mexico, and it is running Chase Oliver for president..

The ballot-qualified Libertarian Party of New Mexico still hasn’t chosen its presidential nominee.  The Green Party is also on the ballot and will nominate Jill Stein.  The Party for Socialism and Liberation is on and will nominate Claudia De La Cruz.