A Zogby/Reuters Poll released July 16 shows these results when voters are presented with a list of 4 presidential candidates: Obama 46%, McCain 36%, Barr 3%, Nader 3%, other or undecided 12%. See here for more details. When the voter is only presented with the names of Obama and McCain, 3% still volunteer someone else. Thanks to ThirdPartyWatch for this news.

If Bob Barr polled 3% in each state, the Libertarian Party would become a qualified party, for the first time ever, in Arkansas, Connecticut (presidential status only), Iowa, and Kentucky. At that point, the only states in which the party would never have been a qualified party would be Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Virginia. Minnesota requires a vote of 5% for any statewide race; New Jersey requires 10% for all votes cast for lower house of the legislature; New York requires 50,000 votes for Governor; Pennsylvania requires registration of 15%; Rhode Island requires 5% for president or governor; Virginia requires 10% for any statewide race. The Tennessee requirement is currently under attack in federal court.

The Libertarian Party has also never been a qualified party in the District of Columbia, but it has some reason to believe it can attain that status this year, since it has a strong candidate for Delegate to the U.S House. He needs 7,500 votes to give the party “qualified” status.

Finally, although the Libertarian Party has been a qualified party for statewide office in both Illinois and Georgia, it has never been a ballot-qualified party in those two states for district and county office. Those two states, along with Connecticut, are the only states in which it is possible for a party to be “qualified” for all statewide office, but not all office.

Ken Lindell was a Republican member of the Maine State House during the 2005-2007 term. While he was in office, he tried to pass a bill that would have substantially eased the definition of “political party”. His bill would have let a party be recognized if it had a state organization. His bill did not pass. A somewhat similar bill in that session, sponsored by Green Party legislator John Eder, also failed to pass. Also, a somewhat similar bill also failed to pass in the 2007-2008 session.

Lindell was defeated for re-election in November 2006. However, he won a 3-person Republican primary last month for the same seat, the 41st State House district. The incumbent Democrat is not running for re-election. Lindell was once a member of the Libertarian Party, and it seems likely that if he is elected this year, he will work for a better definition of “political party” in 2009. Maine requires a party to poll 5% for either Governor, or President, at either of the last two elections, to remain on the ballot. The median vote test in the 50 states is 2%.