An Americans Elect convention in the state of Oklahoma took place which nominated Gary Johnson and James Gray for President and Vice-President and then successfully submitted their names to the State of Oklahoma Board of Elections. Americans Elect was a national effort to nominate a third party ticket through the Internet, they attained ballot status in a number of states before abandoning their plan for lack of presidential contenders that met their requirements.
In a related series of posts on Facebook Rex Lawhorn, State Chairman of the Americans Elect Party of Oklahoma, late on August 7th wrote:
Was honored today to be able to turn in the certification and oaths of seven fine Oklahomans. Everything went VERY well and my faith was bolstered by the service that our State Election Baord (sic) and Attorney General’s office provides to the citizens of my state!
and
Gary Johnson is one step closer to making the ballot in Oklahoma.
The Johnson campaign after being rebuffed in efforts to reach out to national officers of Americans Elect to explore this possibility, found nearly immediate wholehearted support among the officers of Americans Elect in Oklahoma.
The campaign’s official position remains that Johnson/Gray will be on the ballot in all 50 states plus DC.
Comments removed from this thread; see archive.org to find them.
Americans Elect plans 2013 state level return. See new notice at bottom of http://www.americanselect.org/ page. Then August 6 Americans Elect demands Americans Elect be removed from Oklahoma ballot. See PDF copy of letter from them to Oklahoma State Election Board http://bit.ly/RewSRH This has been refused. They can’t legally do that. The national party has no control of the state party now. It’s more bizarre behavior by Americans Elect to plan to be active at state levels in 2013, and then attempt to destroy its own state parties! A contradiction. It’s crazy! No logic to it. I was working with Rex Lawhorn on this. He’s doing a good job on it. I live in Norman Oklahoma.
I’m confused.
I thought Seth Schuyler was now chair? The article says it’s Clark Duffe
BREAKING NEWS on this story! The National office of Americans Elects is attempting to keep the Oklahoma affiliate from placing Gary Johnson’s name on their ballot! ->
http://newsok.com/party-seeks-to-list-libertarian-on-ballot/article/3699674
There’s always the chance we could win the lawsuit.
Meanwhile, there’s this:
http://www.ballot-access.org/2012/08/08/republicans-challenge-pennsylvania-petitions-of-libertarian-and-constitution-parties/
Well, it will be nice if Gary Johnson is on the ballot in Oklahoma, but it is still a shame if he can’t be on the ballot with the Libertarian Party’s label next to his name, rather than the Americans Elect label.
Hopefully you are correct. There’s still the LP lawsuit as well.
I edited the headline to match the information from Steve Galpin reported above.
Word around the campaign is that we’re “90 percent” sure this will be successful.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LNCRegion7/message/56
@9 according to a new PPP poll in at least one state (Colorado) Johnson is pulling more from Democratic-leaners than Republicans, so it’s not all that clear cut. It probably has to do a lot with whatever Johnson is campaigning on. I know he has been hammering the marijuana issue in CO.
Of course, Johnson ‘spoiling’ anyone will almost definitely be moot come November given the ‘wasted vote syndrome’, unfortunately.
I wonder if this will hold up, or if Americans Elect national will file a law suit against this and get Gary Johnson removed from the Oklahoma ballot.
Even if Johnson pulls 10% in OK I don’t think this will impact Romney carrying OK, but I do wonder if the GOP will challenge this OK move (Congrats on it, by the way).
I wonder if the GOP will start pressing challenges against the Johnson/Gray campaign in states where they are still seeking ballot access?
Arizona is one of the very few states in which Americans Elect cannot have a presidential candidate, even though Americans Elect is a ballot-qualified party in Arizona. Arizona has an obsolete law requiring qualified parties to submit candidates for presidential elector by May 30. This is a holdover from the days when parties in Arizona chose candidates for presidential elector in party primaries. No state any longer has party primaries for presidential elector candidates.
Any plans for the Arizona AE folks to do something similar? I know they have been somewhat active.
This seems like all upside to me.
Any downside here?
Seems likely GJ may get on all 50 now? Wonder if AE nomination will get him more votes than if it read Libertarian?
More states planning this?
I will be interested to see if National AE elects to challenge this.
Personally: eat it AE National. At least some good is coming out of the fraud (yes fraud).
Rex also posted early on August 8th:
“I submitted the oaths and Elector certifications with the Elections Board today. The wonderful people in Oklahoma City were very helpful in helping our group meet the legal requirements for this process, but it’s not over. There are a couple of clauses in the Oklahoma law that are a challenge and will require some clarification, from all parties. While we have passed the first hurdle, we must press on.”
Rex Lawhorn
State Chairman, Americans Elect of Oklahoma
See:
http://occupyballotaccess.com/2012/08/08/americans-elect-activists-in-oklahoma-nominate-johnson-for-president/
Rex also writes in a post on Ballot Access News:
“I have to give thanks to the Libertarian Party and Gary Johnson’s campaign. Without their support and legal help, we never would have gotten out of the gate.”
Lots of GREAT people made this happen. Charles Frohman of the campaign organized most of the effort. Ron Nielson was involved daily.
I can say from first-hand experience on this and other issues that — the commitment here is an unwavering declaration that we WILL be on the ballot in ALL 50 states, plus DC.
I can also say that, at one point in those discussions, someone raised the issue of the relationship between the state and national organizations of any political party.
On an early conference call, someone said something like —
“Wait a minute. The LNC doesn’t control what goes on in Oregon. Why does AE in NYC think it can control Oklahoma?”
IMO, it’s not entirely without merit to say, the campaign has the lawsuit in Oregon to thank for being on the ballot in Oklahoma.
🙂
Really.