Only three presidential candidates have applied to the Federal Election Commission to receive primary season matching funds, as of October 23. They are John Edwards, John McCain and Tom Tancredo. The FEC has already certified eligibility for McCain and Tancredo, and is still looking at Edwards’ submission. Although primary season funds won’t be paid until January of the election year (at the earliest), candidates are free to establish eligibility in the odd year before the election year. Any candidate seeking the nomination of any party (no matter how small that party is) may qualify by raising $5,000 from each of 20 states. Contributions from any single donor, no matter how large, cannot count as greater than $250 for this purpose.

On October 22, Saskatchewan Premier Lorne Calvert said that if he is returned to power at the provincial election on November 7, his government will initiative a Citizens Assembly to examine proportional representation. He also said, if the Citizens Assembly then recommends proportional representation and the matter is submitted to the voters, that the government will fund efforts to educate the voters about the proposal. Calvert is the leader of the New Democratic Party, which now controls the Saskatchewan government. This month’s vote in Ontario Province on the same type of proposal was marred because a large proportion of the Ontario voters received no information about the proposal, prior to the election. Thanks to Thomas Jones for this.

Rock the Debates is looking for more videographers. Rock the Debates activists work in pairs with one person asking a presidential candidate the “Rock the Debates” question, and the other videotaping. Larry Reinsch of Iowa and Seth Cohn of New Hampshire have already created 10 such videos.

Rock the Debates seeks to put major party presidential candidates on record, as to whether that person, if nominated, would participate in at least one inclusive general election debate. “Inclusive general election debate” means that every candidate who is on the ballot in states containing a majority of electoral votes would be invited. In all U.S. history, there has never been a presidential election with more than 7 such candidates. Please visit www.rockthedebates.org, or e-mail Bob Sullentrup at bob@rockthedebates.org, if you can help. Obviously if you live in Iowa or New Hampshire, you are in the best position to help.