During the last month, IndependentPrimary.com has been conducting a presidential poll, which is now over. The poll was designed in such a way that no one could vote more than once from any particular e-mail account. The poll let voters vote for only one presidential candidate, in any one of the three (Democratic, Republican and Green) primaries featured.
The results are here. 106,645 voters voted. IndependentPrimary.com was set up by activists from the Committee for a Unified Independent Party.
See Third Party Watch for a transcript of much of Ron Paul’s appearance on Meet the Press on December 23. Paul did not absolutely rule out running outside the Republican Party, but he said it is unlikely. He also asked host Tim Russert why Russert doesn’t ask the other major party presidential candidates that question. Paul specifically asked Russert why the press doesn’t ask John McCain that question. Russert seemed to accept that point and indicated he might do so in the future.
Paul emphasized that he hopes to win the Republican nomination.
On December 11, a Democratic Party activist filed a federal lawsuit to stop the Michigan Democratic presidential primary. Martha Hayes v Michigan Democratic Party and the Michigan Secretary of State, no. 1:07-cv-1237. The case is in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids.
Hayes says she wants to vote for one of the Democratic presidential candidates who is not on the Michigan Democratic primary ballot. Her lawsuit doesn’t say whom she wishes to vote for, but the missing major Democratic candidates are John Edwards, Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, and Joe Biden. The lawsuit charges that because the national Democratic Party won’t recognize the January 15 primary, she and other Michigan Democrats are being disenfranchised. Separate from that, supporters of the 4 particular missing candidates are also being disenfranchised. The lawsuit acknowledges the right of the Democratic National Committee to refuse to seat any delegates from Michigan, and blames the state Democratic Party and the state for the problem.
If the lawsuit were successful, the Democratic primary would be cancelled and the party would choose delegates by caucuses, at a time when the national rules would permit (i.e., February 5 or later).
The summer 2007 issue of University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review is finally in print. It is entirely devoted to election law articles. Ballot Access News editor Richard Winger has an article in that issue, titled, “Can U.S. Voters Still Recruit Someone to Run for President as a Independent After the Identities of the Major Party Presidential Candidates are Known?” If you wish a printed and bound copy of the Winger article, send $7 to Richard Winger, PO Box 470296, San Francisco Ca 94147. The article is 22 pages long. It is not available electronically unless you already subscribe to that Law Review.
The Socialist Workers Party has run a presidential candidate, and placed him or her on the ballot in some states, in all elections starting in 1948. It expects to release the name of its 2008 presidential candidate in January 2008.
The Socialist Equality Party may nominate a presidential candidate. If it does so, that announcement is likely in January 2008 as well. In the past, the Socialist Equality Party has run presidential candidates in 1996 and 2004. It also ran persidential candidates under the party’s old name (Workers League) in 1992, 1988 and 1984.
