On March 29, the Arkansas Senate passed both ballot access bills that had previously been passed by the House.

HB2367 is wholly beneficial. It establishes statutory procedures for independent presidential candidates. This is the first time that Arkansas has ever had such procedures in its statutes. Back in 1974, the U.S. Supreme Court had said the U.S. Constitution requires states to provide ballot access procedures for independent candidates, as well as for new and minor parties. The Supreme Court said the two approaches to politics are entirely different, and states can’t force independents to create a new party to get on the ballot. Despite this clear decision from 33 years ago, Arkansas did not create such a procedure until this year.

The other ballot access bill, HB2353, lowers the number of signatures for a new party from 3% of the last gubernatorial vote (approximately 24,000 signatures) to a flat 10,000 signatures. But it reduces the number of days to get those signatures from 150 days to 60 days. It is probable that the Green Party will sue to overturn the 60-day limitation.

The Unity08 Rules Committee has released a tentative draft of rules on how presidential candidates will be eligible for the Unity08 on-line presidential selection process. The draft will not be final until or unless it is approved by the Delegates.

The proposal requires someone who wants the Unity08 presidential nomination to submit paper petitions signed by 500 registered voters, from each of 5 states. In addition, the candidate must also receive the on-line endorsement of 2,500 registered voters in each of 10 states. This dual requirement translates into a grand total of 2,500 written signatures, plus 25,000 electronic messages of support. See here for details.

On March 26, Quebec Province held a provincial parliamentary election. The Democratic Action Party of Quebec (ADQ), which had held only 4 seats in the last Quebec parliament (out of 125 seats) won 41 seats, making it the 2nd strongest party in the province. The results are: Liberal Party 48 seats, ADQ 41 seats, Party Quebecois 36 seats.

Many of the ADQ candidates who were elected, had no idea they had any chance to be elected, and are inexperienced in politics.

Something similar happened in Ontario Province in the 1990’s, when the New Democratic Party won control of Ontario, again in an election at which no one had dreamed that would happen, and many of the elected members had never considered that they might actually win.

The Canadian experience shows that when ballot access laws, debate practices, and public funding, are all equal, minor parties can do well, even in a system which lacks proportional representation.

The ADQ believes that Quebec should remain part of Canada but that all the provinces should have greater autonomy.