The Rhode Island Libertarian Party has found a state representative who is willing to introduce a bill, making it easier for a party to gain and keep qualified status. Current Rhode Island law requires 5% for President or Governor. The bill would lower the vote test to 2% and expand the list of statewide offices which count.
The national median vote test is 2%. The bill will be introduced after a few more sponsors have been found.
Michigan held presidential primaries on February 27 for the Republican and Democratic Parties.
Here is a link to the unofficial results.
On February 27, the Indiana Supreme Court upheld the law that requires primary candidates to have voted in each of the last two primaries, and to have chosen the primary ballot of the party in which the candidate seeks to run. State ex rel John Rust v Morales. The decision is not yet on the Indiana Supreme Court’s website. See this story.
The lower state court had struck down the law. The law also says that if a political party wishes to waive the rule for any particular candidate, it may do so. But the Republican Party did not grant a waiver for John Rust, so he can’t be on the May 2024 Republican primary for U.S. Senate. The decision leaves just one candidate on that ballot.
On February 27, American Values 24, the PAC that supports the candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., said that it has finished petitions for him in Arizona and Georgia. Georgia requires 7,500 signatures for an independent or minor party presidential candidate. Arizona requires 42,303.
Generally, American Values 24 relies on paid circulators.
There are other instances in history when an organization has carried out petition drives for an independent candidate, without coordinating with that candidate. In 2004 the Michigan Republican Party circulated a petition to get Ralph Nader on the ballot as an independent candidate, and the Michigan state court of appeals ruled there was nothing illegal for a group to circulate a petition without consulting with the candidate. DeLeeuw v State Board of Canvassers, 688 NW 2d 847.
Also, in 1968, groups submitted petitions putting Eugene McCarthy on the ballot as an independent in many states, even though McCarthy did not want them to do that.
February 27 is Ralph Nader’s birthday. Today he is 90 years old. He placed third in the presidential elections of 2000, 2004, and 2008, the only person who ever placed third, three presidential elections in a row.
Eugene Debs also placed third in three presidential elections, but they weren’t in a row (1904, 1908, and 1920). Norman Thomas also placed third in three presidential elections but they weren’t in a row either (1928, 1932, and 1940). As to whether Thomas placed third in 1944, that is ambiguous. The unpledged electors of the Texas Regulars placed third nationally, but one might discount them since they didn’t have a particular presidential nominee.
