Massachusetts Poll Includes All Minor Party Candidates for All Statewide Offices

Posted on by September 15, 2022
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This Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll includes all the statewide offices on the Massachusetts ballot. It is somewhat unusual for polls to include lesser offices such as Secretary of State, Auditor, and Treasurer. The poll shows that the Green Party and the Libertarian Party are likely to poll enough votes for at least one of the statewide offices to regain their qualified party status. However, it shows the Workers Party is not likely to reach the required 3%. Thanks to Independent Political Report for the link.

It is obvious that the Libertarian Party will qualify, due to the fact that the Treasurer race has only two candidates, a Democrat and a Libertarian. The poll shows the Libertarian receiving 17% of the vote for that office.

People’s Party Asks for Rehearing En Banc in Florida Ballot Access Case

Posted on by September 22, 2022
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On September 14, the People’s Party of Florida filed a request for a rehearing en banc in People’s Party of Florida v Florida Department of State, 22-12451. This is the case that challenges Florida’s law that forbids a new party from nominating any candidates. Not only did the Court fail to provide any relief; it also then said that the declaratory part of the case can’t proceed because the case is moot. This is a legal error; the U.S. Supreme Court said in 1969 that constitutional ballot access cases are not moot just because the declaratory judgment is obtained after the election is over.

U.S. District Court in Utah Declines to Remove Republican Legislative Nominee from November Ballot

Posted on by September 14, 2022
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On September 12, U.S. District Court Judge Jill Parrish, an Obama appointee, declined to order the state elections office to remove a Republican legislative nominee from the November ballot. The Utah Democratic Party had filed the lawsuit on September 7, arguing that the nominee, Representative Joel Ferry, is ineligible to be re-elected to the legislature because he has been appointed to an executive position in Utah government. Utah Democratic Party v Henderson, 2:22cv-581.

The order says that even though Ferry appears to be ineligible, it doesn’t follow that he can’t run. If he is re-elected, he would then resign. If he were to be removed from the ballot, the only name on the ballot would be the Democratic nominee, although there are some declared write-in candidates who are Republicans. Here is the ruling.

Newspaper Story About the Three Minor Parties Who are on Statewide Ballot in Pennsylvania

Posted on by September 14, 2022
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The Williamsport Sun-Gazette his this story about the Green, Libertarian, and Keystone Parties. All three are on the ballot for the statewide offices. The only statewide offices up this year in Pennsylvania are U.S. Senate, and Governor-Lieutenant Governor.

Polls this week are indicating Democrats are comfortably ahead in both statewide races. No one challenged any of the three minor party statewide petitions this year.

Pennsylvania law requires a party to have 15% of the statewide registration, in order to be truly ballot-qualified. No minor party has ever come close to meeting that standard, which has existed since 1986. However, if a minor party polls 2% of the winner’s vote for any statewide office, it is listed on voter registration forms, and is automatically on the ballot in special elections. Both the Libertarian Party and the Green Party have this status in Pennsylvania, because they met that vote test in 2020.