Arkansas Republican Presidential Primary Fee is $15,000

Posted on by November 14, 2007
4

Until 2007, there had never been a party-imposed fee for running in a presidential primary in any state, higher than $5,000. However, the South Carolina Republican Party broke that pattern by setting its filing fee at $25,000 for candidates who filed before May 2007, and $35,000 for candidates who filed later.

Now the Arkansas Republican Party has copied this idea, to a certain extent, and is charging $15,000. The Arkansas Republican Party does not pay for the presidential primary; the fee is just a way for the party to make money.

So far, the only Republicans who have paid the Arkansas $15,000 fee are John McCain, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson. However, filing doesn’t end until Monday, November 19.

The Democratic National Committee has set a ceiling of $2,500 that any state Democratic Party may charge presidential candidates. Of course, in most states, filing fees don’t go to the parties anyway. In most states they go to election administrators.

Michigan Seeks Quick Appeal on Voter List Case

Posted on by November 13, 2007
Reply

On November 13, the Michigan Attorney General asked the State Court of Appeals to hold a hearing no later than November 16, on whether it is unconstitutional for the state to give a list of presidential primary participants to each of the two major parties, and to otherwise withhold the list. The case is called Grebner v State. The lower court had ruled that policy unconstitutional.

Also on November 13, the Michigan Republican Party intervened in the case, on the side of the state. The state party chair affirmed that the party still prefers to choose its delegates to the national convention by primary.

Nader Case Against Democratic National Committee Chair is Assigned to an Experienced Federal Judge

Posted on by November 13, 2007
1

On October 31, 2007, Ralph Nader filed a federal lawsuit against Terry McAuliffe, former chair of the Democratic National committee, for the party’s actions to keep him off the ballot in 2004. The case, filed in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia (McAuliffe lives in Virginia), has been assigned to Judge James Cacheris, who has been a judge for 36 years. He served 10 years as a state court judge, and then was appointed to the federal bench in 1981.

Illinois Governor Signs Ballot Access Bill

Posted on by November 13, 2007
Reply

On November 9, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich signed SB 662. It eases ballot access for independent candidates for the legislature. Under the new law, such candidates need a petition signed by 5% of the last vote cast, due in June of election years. While this is a very harsh law, it is better than the old law, which required 10%, due in the year before the election.

All states now have procedures for independent candidates to get on the ballot, that are at or below 5% of the number of registered voters. The only exception is New Hampshire. In some state House districts in New Hampshire, the number of signatures required (150 signatures) works out to more than 5% of the number of registered voters. New Hampshire state house districts vary widely in population. Some districts elect 8 or 9 representatives and have 8 or 9 times as many people as certain other districts that only elect one. But, the law irrationally requires 150 signatures, regardless of the size of the district.

Rochester, New York Newspaper Feature Story on Working Families Party

Posted on by November 13, 2007
1

The November 11 issue of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (in New York state) features this story on the Working Families Party’s involvement in the County Legislature race, Monroe County 6th district. That district switched from being represented by a Republican, to being represented by a Democrat who was cross-endorsed by the Working Families Party. The WFP polled 9.5% of the vote in the race and furnished a large share of the campaign workers.