This news story says that Betsy Johnson, independent candidate for Governor of Oregon, spent $897,000 on her ballot access petition. She needed 23,744 valid signatures. She collected about 48,000, and the Secretary of State found 37,700 valid.
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This article in the Idaho County Free Press describes the plight of the Idaho Libertarian Party when one activist got himself elected in the government primary to a party office. Because he was the only person who used the primary to win party office, he gained control over the party.
Every state has had at least one minor party or independent candidate for U.S. House on the November ballot during the elections of 2018, 2020, or 2022, except for Georgia. Georgia hasn’t had one since 1982, when the normal 5% petition was set aside due to late redistricting in the two Atlanta districts.
In 2022, every state will have had at least one minor party or independent candidate candidate for U.S. House on the ballot except for Georgia, New Hampshire, New Mexico, and Washington. And in 2020, New Hampshire had such candidates. New Mexico and Washington haven’t had any since 2018.
On September 8, U.S. District Court Judge Mark Cohen expedited the lawsuit Graham v Carr, n.d., 1:22cv-3613. This is the Georgia Libertarian Party case that challenges the Georgia unequal contribution limits. The law lets Democratic and Republican candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor received unlimited donations, whereas other candidates for those offices in the general election cannot receive more than $7,600 from any one individual.
The state’s response is due September 16.
On September 12, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy signed SB 161, which eases the definition of a qualified party. The old law required registration equal to 3% of the last vote cast, and was the nation’s most severe registration test for party status except for Pennsylvania’s 15%. The new law requires exactly 5,000 registrations.
The immediate effect is to restore the Libertarian Party’s qualified status, which will save it from having to petition for its presidential nominee.