Ballot Access News reports:
On July 18, the Nevada Secretary of State announced that Ralph Nader’s independent petition has enough valid signatures. He is now officially on the ballot in 5 states, a number that will sharply increase in the next few weeks, as more of his petitions are submitted and presumably verified.
That was my point too. Thanks for the additional details Andy.
My point is that all Presidential ballot access petitioning does not have to begin during the Presidential election year. In fact, I’d say that it is pretty stupid to put off petitioning until the Presidential election year. The chance for obtaining ballot access nationally is much better if you start early.
“paulie cannoli // Jul 20, 2008 at 3:06 am
Some states allow 2008 petitioning in 2007 and prior. So our count may be different.”
The petitioning to get the LP back on the ballot in North Carolina for the 2008 election cycle actually started back in November of 2004.
The petition to get the LP back on the ballot in New Mexico for the 2008 election cycle started and was completed in the fall of 2005.
The petition to get the LP back on the ballot in North Dakota was started and completed from late summer-early fall of 2006.
The petition to get the LP back on the ballot in Maryland was started and completed from the fall of 2006-early winter of 2006.
The petition to get the LP back on the ballot in Nebraska was started in the fall of 2006, but after a quick start where most of the job was done in the fall of 2006, it was not completed until 2008.
The Ohio LP made it on the ballot after a law suit where petition which was won recently. Petition signatures collected in the summer of 2007 were instramental in winning the suit.
“The LP, GP and CP all STARTED at 20-30 ballot lines.”
I suppose you’re right, I’m not really counting states the parties had automatic ballot access on, but I didn’t think there were too many of those…
Some states allow 2008 petitioning in 2007 and prior. So our count may be different.
I mean the ones that the parties had prior to the primary actually beginning and the states allowing petitioning.
All of them have gained perhaps one or two ballot lines since the petitioning season began
I don’t know when you count the petitioning season as having begun, but I’ve been involved in quite a few more state efforts than that this cycle, even if you take out the ones still pending.
off topic, but just curious, Paulie, were able to get any feedback of any interest off the presidential candidates at the Green Convention?
I took about ten or twenty pages of notes. Trying to wrap my head about where to start.
Nader has set out a plan to be on 45 ballots by September 20. He has made every benchmark so far. Its reasonable to think that he will be on more ballots than the GP and CP candidates and a comparable number to Barr.
Darolew,
The LP, GP and CP all STARTED at 20-30 ballot lines.
All of them have gained perhaps one or two ballot lines since the petitioning season began. The vast majority of the ballot lines they have now, they inherited from the last election.
Nader starts at zero.
And that’s six official. When you count all of the states where he’s submitted more than twice as many signatures as required, but they haven’t gotten confirmed counts… he’s at a dozen.
He’s almost ready to submit signatures for 3-5 more states very soon. And several more quickly after that.
He’s on more state ballots this year than he was on at this time in the last election. And he’s on three ballot lines so far that he missed in 2004 (Hawaii, Arizona and Illinois).
So as far as ballot lines are going, he’s doing very well.
Compared to the McKinney and Baldwin campaigns which have waved the white flag on a number of states so far. States, most of which that Nader is on track to appear.
Six states? Is anyone else not really impressed? The LP, CP, and GP are all on 20-30+ ballots by now. Nader seems to be lagging behind…
Hogging the spotlight?
Maybe it’s because he’s raised more money, mobilized more volunteers and organized better than generally any other third party candidate this year.
Only Bob Barr is at least matching Nader’s efforts in fundraising, volunteers and organizing.
And Barr does have name recognition, but really no more than say Cynthia McKinney started out with.
The difference was that he and Nader are running better campaigns and taking far better advantage of the opportunities given to them.
I highly doubt that if Nader and Barr weren’t running that any of these other third party candidates would have any higher of a profile than they have now.
Nader always hogs the third-party presidential spotlight, and for that reason gets more votes than he otherwise would.
For some reason, the MSM feels that it’s safe to up his name recognition while ignoring the other alternatives. Maybe someone in power knows something about Nader that we don’t.
While Obama and McCain are each around 45% in national polls, Ralph Nader and Bob Barr are each around 5% in national polls. To give candidates air time in proportion to the amount of support they enjoy, they would have to increase their coverage of the Nader and Barr campaigns dramatically. Let’s all ask them to be unbiased and to report on the various campaigns in proportion to their support/level of interest. Here is a list of contact pages and addresses for the cable networks:
[email protected]
[email protected]
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6872152/
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,77538,00. html
[email protected]
http://www.cnn.com/feedback/hdlns/
off topic, but just curious, Paulie, were able to get any feedback of any interest off the presidential candidates at the Green Convention?
fixed
Thanks, Richard!
Yes, thanks, Mike Gillis. I fixed my post and so maybe your post also will get a revision.
I did.
You should let Richard Winger know then.
Six states, actually. We got the word that he was officially on in WA on July 10th.