Sarah Palin gave an impromptu press conference at the Colorado Springs airport, on the evening of October 19. She said, “I believe that anybody that would try to thwart a fair and clean election is not following American principles because part of being an American is protecting and being able to rely on free and fair elections.” See here for the entire transcript.

One wishes that someone would ask her opinion about the actions of Pennsylvania Republican Party officials this year, who filed a lawsuit, with seven attorneys, to remove Bob Barr from the Pennsylvania ballot. That attempt failed to accomplish anything for the people who filed the challenge, and it created a useful precedent that will help minor party and independent candidates in the future.

Illinois holds a regular election this November in 39 State Senate districts. In 20 of them, there is only one candidate on the ballot. No independent candidate, and no candidate of an unqualified party, is on the ballot for any State Senate race in Illinois this year. Illinois requires a petition signed by 5% of the last vote cast, for such candidates.

Republicans failed to run anyone in 13 of the 39 districts, and Democrats failed to run anyone in 7 of them.

For the 118 State House of Representatives races, there is only one candidate in 52% of the races, and if the Green Party weren’t on the ballot and running 13 State House candidates, the percentage would be 56% of the races with only one candidate on the ballot. Republicans aren’t running anyone in 46 races, and Democrats aren’t running anyone in 20 races. As with the State Senate, the 5% petition requirement kept all independent candidates, and all nominees of unqualified parties, off the ballot.

On October 21, a presidential debate for candidates who are on the ballot in states containing a majority of the electoral vote was announced. It will be Thursday evening, October 23, 9 pm thru 10:30 pm, at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C. It is likely that C-SPAN will cover it, since both Ralph Nader and Chuck Baldwin have said they will participate.