Alabama law lets political parties prevent candidates from running in their primaries, if that party feels the candidate is “disloyal”. Recently, the Alabama Democratic Party prevented Steve Small from running for Jefferson County Commissioner. The reason is that, 4 years ago, Small ran as a write-in candidate for the same post in the general election, in opposition to the Democratic and Republican nominees.

In Alabama, write-in candidates do not file as declared write-in nominees. People who wish to campaign as write-in candidates simply campaign, but they need not file any declaration of candidacy. Therefore, in no sense was Small an “official” candidate 4 years ago. This recent Democratic Party decision shows the tyranny of an election system, like Alabama’s, which prevents people from running in the primary, and also makes ballot access for independent candidates extremely difficult. Alabama and New Mexico are tied for having the strictest ballot access petitions for independent candidates for statewide state office, in the nation (3% of the last vote cast).

Thanks to Ed Still for this news.

Illinois State Senator James Meeks, a Democrat from Chicago, is threatening to organize a new party this year and to be its candidate for Governor. He is angry with the incumbent Democratic Governor, Rod Blagojevich, for promising not to raise sales or income taxes. Although Meeks is a Democrat, he was elected to the State Senate in 2002 as the nominee of the “Honesty and Integrity Party”. Meeks cannot be an independent candidate for Governor this year because the deadline has already passed, although that deadline is under legal attack in a case filed in 2004, now pending in the 7th circuit.