Unity.08 is organizing to get as many high school students as possible to be present in polling places on November 7, 2006. They would ask all voters to sign this petition: “To the Congress of the United States: As We the People vote today, we are asking you to do your part and end the blame-game politics of Washington. Partisan bickering cannot solve the crucial issues we face. America deserves better.”

As this is non-partisan activity, and arguably educational, Unity.08 hopes to get the support of school administrators and teachers to cooperate with the plan. Otherwise, this activity could only be carried out in the hours during which school is not in session. For more information, see www.unitypetition.com.

On September 21, the Illinois State Board of Elections finally certified Joe Parnarauskis for the ballot for State Senate, 52nd district (Urbana-Champaign). He appears to be the only minor party candidate for district office in Illinois this year who was able to survive a challenge. Democrats had challenged his petition. Even though that process showed he had enough, Democrats on the State Board of Elections had continued to block his certification. The only excuse was that some of his sheets had not shown “52nd State Senate district” at the top of the petition. However, all those sheets did contain that information in the first sentence below the heading. After a state court threatened to hold the Board in contempt if it did not certify Parnarauskis, the Board yielded.

On September 6, as has been noted, the Ohio Libertarian Party won a lawsuit in the 6th circuit. That court invalidated the procedure for new parties to get on the ballot, a petition of 1% of the last vote cast, due a year before the general election. Although there was no indication the state would ask for a rehearing, it had always been a possibility. However, the deadline for such a request has now passed, and the state made no such request.