California Governor Supports Anti-Minor Party Ballot Measure

Posted on by October 18, 2004
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This afternoon California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger endorsed Prop. 62. Prop. 62 provides that all candidates for congress and state office run on a single ballot in June. Then, only the top two vote-getters can ever appear on the November ballot.

88% of the $4,000,000 in contributions to Prop. 62 have come in chunks of $50,000 or more. The “top two” system would probably result in the two candidates with the most campaign financing in the primary season being the only two candidates on the November ballot.

Schwarzenegger had earlier promised to remain neutral.

Learning From US, Putin Moves to Restrict Political Parties

Posted on by October 18, 2004
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The world has always learned from America’s example. These days we are not setting a very good one.

Now Putin is learning from the US! The Kremlin has announced a new crackdown on small parties. Currently, parties must get 100 people to sign up as members in each of half of Russia’s 89 regions. Under the new proposal, parties will be required to sign up 250 members in every single region, and 500 members in each of half the regions. In addition, they will be required to sign up 50,000 members nationwide.

This is another of Putin’s new anti-Democratic moves, following his moves to make Governors and Judges appointed instead of elected.

~ Eric Garris, Ballot Access News Webmaster

Nader Fails to Get Injunctive Relief in Arizona

Posted on by October 15, 2004
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On October 15, the 9th circuit said Ralph Nader filed his federal ballot access lawsuit too late to be entitled to an injunction. The 9th circuit said nothing about the merits of the case, which will be decided after the election is over. The issues are the June 9 petition deadline for independent candidates, and the law forbidding out-of-state circulators.