There's gold in them thar states
Libertarian candidate will appear on 49 ballots
Montgomery, AL (PRWEB) September 18, 2004 -- With the verification of petition signatures complete in Alabama, the Libertarian Party has once again put its presidential candidate -- Michael Badnarik, 50, of Austin, TX -- on the ballot in more states than any other "third" party: 48 of them, plus the District of Columbia.
"Connecticut and Alabama wrap up this year's drive," says Stephen Gordon, the Badnarik campaign's communications director. "The LP is still litigating in Oklahoma and missed meeting the requirements in New Hampshire -- but we're 11 states up on our nearest competitor, the Constitution Party's Michael Peroutka." Peroutka is on the ballot in 38 states, Independent Ralph Nader in 35 and Green Party candidate David Cobb in 28.
America's third largest political party has a long history of outperforming other political organizations in ballot access: In 1980, 1992, 1996 and 2000, its presidential candidates appeared on the ballot in all 50 states and DC (although not always the same candidate -- in 2000, science fiction author L. Neil Smith, instead of national nominee Harry Browne, represented the LP on Arizona's ballot).
This year, the party came up against a failed signature drive in New Hampshire, the need to sue for access in Oklahoma, and petitions in Connecticut "misplaced" by state election workers. "We'd likely have missed the ballot in Connecticut if one of our activists hadn't been persistent in asking what the delay was," says Gordon. "The petitions were miraculously 'found' after the LP made an issue of it."
"The issue of ballot access goes to the core of American Democracy," says Richard Winger, editor of the non-partisan Ballot Access News. "If voters aren't offered real choices, they aren't making real decisions. Libertarians have been consistent fighters on this front, not just for themselves but for all political parties."
This year, several prominent Libertarians launched an independent, non-partisan group, Freedom Ballot Access, to support candidates in their efforts. George Phillies, principal officer of the "527" group, expects it to be a major force in breaking through ballot barriers. "We raised and spent about $20,000 in key states this year to good effect, after a late start," he says. "In 2005, we expect to be even more effective in putting draconian election laws to bed -- permanently."
###
|
