New California Registration Data

Posted on by December 24, 2007
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The California Secretary of State recently released the tally of how many voters are registered in each political party, as of December 4, 2007. The previous tally had been as of September 4, 2007.

The only three parties in the state that gained are the American Independent (Constitution), Peace & Freedom, and Reform Parties. The Reform Party is not qualified but is attempting to qualify, although it has not gained enough to have a chance to qualify for 2008, because the deadline is December 31, 2007, and it needs 88,991 registrations to do that (old parties don’t need nearly that many registrations to remain qualified).

The number of independents also increased.

The new totals are: Democratic 6,598,773; Republican 5,190,179; American Independent 320,435; Green 132,501; Libertarian 81,906; Peace & Freedom 57,013; Reform 29,477; other 68,124; declines to state (California’s peculiar term for “independent”) 2,990,143.

The old totals had been: Democratic 6,599,660; Republican 5,254,795; American Independent 316,811; Green 136,018; Libertarian 82,669; Peace & Freedom 56,957; Reform 28,735; other 70,809; declines to state 2,980,622.

The Reform Party gain was almost entirely in Sacramento County. The party in that county went from 998 to 2,521.

Colorado Determines that 3 Parties Are No Longer Qualified

Posted on by December 24, 2007
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The Colorado Secretary of State’s legal counsel recently determined that the Reform, Gun Owners’ Rights, and Pro Life Parties, are no longer qualified parties in that state.

None of the three parties has as many as 1,000 registrants, and none of them polled as much as 1% for a statewide race in either of the last two elections. The Reform Party did have a strong nominee for one U.S. House race last year, but that isn’t a statewide race.

The Gun Owners’ Rights Party, and the Pro Life Party, became qualified in 2004, when they each submitted 10,000 valid signatures on a petition. However, neither of them ever had any candidates for any public office whatsoever. The two parties were formed by a wealthy Democratic Party activist, who had the notion that if he qualified those parties, he would later find candidates and the presence of those candidates on the ballot would injure Republican nominees. However, he appears to have thought better of the idea later, and they were completely dormant during their lifetime.

The Colorado voter registration form will be reprinted next month to delete those three parties. Remaining qualified in Colorado are the Constitution, Green, and Libertarian Parties (which nominate by convention for the most part) and the Republican and Democratic Parties.

IndependentPrimary.Com Releases Internet Poll Results

Posted on by December 24, 2007
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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.

Ron Paul on Meet the Press, December 23

Posted on by December 23, 2007
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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.

Lawsuit to Stop Michigan Democratic Presidential Primary

Posted on by December 23, 2007
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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).