Utah is the only state in which two different Green Parties are on the ballot. One is the Desert Greens; the other is the Green Party. This is because the party split into two factions in 2004, and had not healed by early 2006. Utah ballots, like the ballots of approximately 15 other states, use party logos. Both Green Parties are using a sunflower logo. The Desert Greens sunflower is a realistic drawing; the Green Party sunflower is a stylized, perfectly symmetrical sunflower.
Judy Baar Topinka, Republican nominee for Illinois Governor, said on November 2, “If people want to have a change, they won’t waste their vote any other way”. News media interpreted her remark as a plea to voters not to vote for the Green Party, which is the only party on the ballot in Illinois statewide races besides the Democratic and Republican Parties. A new Mason-Dixon Poll released that day showed: Democrat Rod Blagojevich 44%, Republican Topinka 40%, Green Whitney 7%, undecided 9%.
It is fairly likely that the proportion of votes cast for minor party and independent candidates for the top-most offices next week will be the highest percentage in a mid-term year since 1914.
In 2002, the proportion of voters choosing a minor party or independent candidate for the top-most office on the ballot was 5.3%. That was the highest such percentage since 1934, when 5.6% of voters voted “other”.
With minor party and independent candidates (for the top-most office) polling so well in the populous states of Texas and Illinois, and very well in California and Florida, and ahead of average in Ohio, it is likely that the national percentage will exceed 5.6%. If so, 2006 will be the best mid-term year for “other candidates” since 1914.
“Top-most” office means Governor, in the 37 states that are electing Governors this year. In the other states, it means U.S. Senate. If neither Senator nor Governor is up, it is whatever office is listed at the top of ballots.
Also, it is likely that fourteen or fifteen minor party candidates for state legislatures will be elected.
It is likely that the Lou Dobbs show will air a brief interview with Richard Winger on Friday, November 3. The show runs from 6 pm to 7 pm eastern time.
Also, Bill Redpath, national chair of the Libertarian Party, will be on C-SPAN call-in Saturday, November 4, between 9 am and 9:30 am eastern time.
On November 1, the Ohio Secretary of State signed a consent order, settling the lawsuit The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless v Blackwell, sou. dist., C2-06-896. Absentee ballots received by mail that contain the voter’s date of birth, address and signature will be counted. At the polls, a wide range of ID will be accepted, not just government photo-ID. The order does not apply to elections that occur in 2007 and future years.
