Alberta Provincial Election

On May 29, the Canadian province of Alberta held a provincial election. Here is the wikipedia page. The United Conservative Party won 60 seats; the New Democratic Party won 23 seats; two independents were elected; two seats are still vacant.

In the last election, in 2019, the two major parties of Alberta won all the seats.

The page will eventually be updated to include the share of the popular vote for each party that contested the election. The party that had the third most nominees was the Green Party, with 41 candidates out of the 87 seats.

May 2023 Ballot Access News Print Edition

Ballot Access News
May 2023 – Volume 38, Number 12

This issue was printed on white paper.


Table of Contents

  1. MONTANA BALLOT ACCESS SAVED
  2. ARKANSAS BALLOT ACCESS BILL SIGNED
  3. ARIZONA BALLOT MEASURE THAT PROTECTS PARTIES
  4. MINNESOTA BALLOT ACCESS HOPE
  5. MISSISSIPPI INITIATIVE STILL DEFUNCT
  6. BALLOT ACCESS BILLS
  7. PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY AND CAUCUS BILLS
  8. OTHER BILLS
  9. LAWSUITS
  10. 2024 PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY QUALIFICATION DEADLINES
  11. BALLOT ACCESS FOR 2024 REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES
  12. FORWARD PARTY ON FLORIDA BALLOT
  13. KEYSTONE PARTY CANDIDATES RECEIVE SETTLEMENT OF $91,000 FOR EXCLUSION FROM PUBLIC PARK
  14. FOUR GROUPS ASK U.S. SUPREME COURT TO HEAR NEW YORK BALLOT ACCESS CASE
  15. NATIONAL CONVENTIONS SET
  16. SOUTH CAROLINA LABOR PARTY CHANGES ITS NAME
  17. GALLUP POLL SHOWS FEWER VOTERS IDENTIFY WITH TWO MAJOR PARTIES
  18. ALICE KELSEY, LONG-TIME COFOE TREASURER, DIES
  19. SUBSCRIBING TO BAN WITH PAYPAL

If Minnesota’s New 8% Vote Test for Party Status Had Existed in the Past

Since the end of World War II, Minnesota has had four ballot-qualified parties other than the Democratic and Republican Parties. But if the new law, requiring a vote of 8% instead of 5%, had existed in that past period, Minnesota probably would not have had any ballot-qualified third parties other than the Reform Party in 1996-2000.

The American Party became ballot-qualified in Minnesota in 1976 by polling 6.57% for U.S. Senate. It kept that status in 1978 by polling 5.68% for Treasurer and lesser percentages for other statewide race. If the law passed in 2023 had existed back then, the American Party would never have been qualified.

The Green Party became ballot-qualified in 2000, when Ralph Nader polled 5.20% for president, and that status lasted until November 2004. No statewide Green ever polled as much as 8%.

The Independence Party became qualified in 1994, when Dean Barkley polled 5.39% for U.S. Senate. It changed its name to the Reform Party in 1996 and polled 11.77% for Ross Perot in 1996, so even under the new law, it would have had qualified status, starting in 1996, not 1994. In 2000 it changed its name back to the Independence Party. It didn’t have any statewide nominees in 2004, and in 2006 its highest statewide showing was 6.44%, so under the new law its status would have ended that year. In reality it kept its status through November 2014.

Chances are the Independence Party would never have come into qualified existence if the new law had been in effect back then, because its 1994 only statewide showing was under 8%. Ross Perot would still have started the Reform Party in 1995, but when that party went into steep decline after the 2000 presidential election, there would have been no transition to an Independence Party because that party would not have existed as a qualified party.

California Bill to Make it More Difficult to Qualify an Initiative is Amended

On May 18, California AB 421 was amended to make it less restrictive. The original bill outlawed paying initiative circulators on a per-signature basis. It also required that 10% of the needed signatures be collected by volunteers. The amended bill says that initiative circulators may be paid on a per-signature basis, if the group sponsoring the initiative agrees to collect at least 5% of the needed signatures by volunteers.

So far the bill has passed the Assembly Elections Committee, but otherwise has not advanced.

Ballotpedia Notes that 2023 Has Seen More Bills Making Ballot Access More Difficult

Ballotpedia here notes that in 2023, there have been many bills making ballot access more difficult, compared to 2022 and also compared to the number of bills making it easier. The article does not note the New Mexico bill that doubled the number of signatures for non-presidential nominees of qualified parties that nominate by convention.