The Socialist Party’s national convention is proceeding in St. Louis, October 19-21. The convention has already decided that the Socialist Party will run a presidential candidate. The selection will probably occur late afternoon or early evening, on Saturday.
On October 19, 2007, the New Jersey Conservative, Green and Libertarian Parties won the lawsuit that had been filed on October 13, 2006. New Jersey officials decided that the case is so strong, they wouldn’t contest the lawsuit. Therefore, the judge didn’t need to make a decision; the state simply signed an agreement to change its policies. The case is Green Party of New Jersey et al v State, Mercer Co. Superior Court, c-125-06. The New Jersey Appleseed Public Interest Law Center and the law firm Emery Celli Cuti Brinckerhoff deserve thanks for representing the parties pro bono. The parties are holding a press conference on Monday, October 22, at the State Capitol, which will contain more details.
The lawsuit results are: (1) the state will let voters register as members of the Conservative Party (the Greens and Libertarians already had that ability); (2) the state will let voters give as much money to any of the three unqualified parties as it lets people give to the Democratic and Republican Parties; (3) the state will let the three unqualified parties give as much money to their nominees as the Democratic and Republican Parties may now give; (4) the three unqualified parties will be exempt from lobbying fees, just as the Democrats and Republicans are exempt; (5) petitions to get the nominees of unqualified parties, and independent nominees, on the ballot will no longer say that the signer intends to vote for those nominees; (6) all petitions for district and local office can now be circulated by any adult resident of New Jersey; the circulator need not live in any particular district or locality.
The New York Press published this article about a possible Bloomberg independent presidential run on October 17.
The New Mexico Attorney General and Secretary of State seem to be conducting a thorough review of whether the Green Party is still ballot-qualified. From the amount of time they are taking, it seems likely that they may be reviewing all the past precedents.
The New Mexico law is very unclear. It can be read to mean that a party must poll one-half of 1% for Governor or President at either of the last two elections, in order to remain on the ballot. Or it can be read to mean that if a party runs no one for Governor (in a gubernatorial year) or for President (in a presidential year) that it remains on the ballot. The law has existed since 1989 and has been construed differently by different Secretaries of State, over the years. The Green Party had three candidates for state office on the November 2006 ballot, but it did not run for Governor in 2006. Since the state obviously felt the party was qualified in 2006 (even though it got below one-half of 1% for president in 2004), then it is still ballot-qualified if the 2nd reading is correct.
The New Mexico Attorney General and Secretary of State seem to be conducting a thorough review of whether the Green Party is still ballot-qualified. From the amount of time they are taking, it seems likely that they may be reviewing all the past precedents.
The New Mexico law is very unclear. It can be read to mean that a party must poll one-half of 1% for Governor or President at either of the last two elections, in order to remain on the ballot. Or it can be read to mean that if a party runs no one for Governor (in a gubernatorial year) or for President (in a presidential year) that it remains on the ballot. The law has existed since 1989 and has been construed differently by different Secretaries of State, over the years. The Green Party had three candidates for state office on the November 2006 ballot, but it did not run for Governor in 2006. Since the state obviously felt the party was qualified in 2006 (even though it got below one-half of 1% for president in 2004), then it is still ballot-qualified if the 2nd reading is correct.
