Minor Party and Independent General Election Discussion

[StateBoiler]

Tennessee:

The Tennessee Secretary of State finished validating independent presidential petitions on August 31. Six were valid: Rocky De La Fuente, Howie Hawkins, Jo Jorgensen, Alyson Kennedy, Gloria La Riva, and Kanye West.

On August 31 two petitions that had been under review were rejected: those of Don Blankenship and Brock Pierce.

[The Mikado]

Kanye West's petition certified in Virginia.

did they announce the rest of the ballot?

Only third party candidates for Presiddnt to file in VA were Jorgensen and West, and both made the ballot.

thanks where did you find this?  was there an official announcement posted? I can't find it.

[The Mikado]

Mississippi releases list of candidates who have filed. (Note: they haven't determined who made the ballot yet, these are just the people who have applied)

https://www.sos.ms.gov/content/documents/elections/2020%20Candidate%20Qualifying%20List.pdf

SEVEN minor candidates, along with Trump and Biden.

[sparkey]

Mississippi releases list of candidates who have filed. (Note: they haven't determined who made the ballot yet, these are just the people who have applied)

https://www.sos.ms.gov/content/documents/elections/2020%20Candidate%20Qualifying%20List.pdf

SEVEN minor candidates, along with Trump and Biden.

Doesn't the Veterans Party have ballot access in MS? Does that mean they decided to run nobody instead of running Abramson?

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/PatrickSvitek/status/1302382772783403013

[BaldEagle1991]

https://twitter.com/PatrickSvitek/status/1302382772783403013

I think the Libertarians are pulling moderate Dem votes in Texas than Republicans. They should be happy they're on the ballot.

[The Mikado]

https://twitter.com/PatrickSvitek/status/1302382772783403013

This isn't related to the Pres race, it's just the GOP effort to get all the Libertarian House candidates kicked off the ballot failing. Jorgensen and Hawkins were already definitely on the TX Presidential ballot.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Not that it matters, but Hawkins is likely off the ballot in Louisiana due to an own goal: https://ballot-access.org/2020/09/07/louisiana-green-party-a-qualified-party-is-late-with-presidential-electors-so-howie-hawkins-not-likely-to-appear-on-ballot/

[Tender Branson]

Update with all filing deadlines having passed:

* The Libertarian Jorgensen/Cohen ticket is officially on all 50 state ballots + DC.

* Kanye West is on the ballot in 12 states (incl. the swing states of MN and IA & maybe CO, but this is unlikely to become a swing state).

* The situation for Howie Hawkins (Greens) is more complicated, because there are many lawsuits still ongoing, among them in PA and WI, where rulings should come today or the next few days. Democrats are trying to keep Hawkins/Walker off the ballots there, even though they collected enough valid signatures. But the complaints are that they didn't file all the paperwork properly or in time. This was often ignored in the past when it came to Democrats or Republicans submitting paperwork late. They were still allowed onto the ballot. Currently, it seems as if Hawkins/Walker will get on some 30-35 state ballots + DC and achieve write-in-status in 10 or so others. They only failed completely in a few states, such as SD.

[The Mikado]

Currently, it seems as if Hawkins/Walker will get on some 30-35 state ballots + DC and achieve write-in-status in 10 or so others. They only failed completely in a few states, such as SD.

Filing for write in status is absurdly easy almost everywhere if you actually try (the fact that Kanye West hasn't bothered to file for write in status anywhere he's not on the ballot indicates how little he cares about this campaign), and Hawkins is trying that. The only states he COULD miss write in access are the states which flat out don't allow write in voting.



So it'll be impossible to vote for Hawkins in Oklahoma, South Dakota, Louisiana (probably, pending him losing his ballot access soon), and Nevada, all states where he missed ballot access and don't have write in voting as a possibility.

[StateBoiler]

Alliance Party September Newsletter on their ballot access:

Below is a map that demonstrates what can be expected in each state. The darker blue denotes where voters will see our Presidential ticket listed on the ballot, most under the name Alliance Party. Three of these are accomplished via an unofficial alliance with the Reform Party of Florida, the Natural Law Party of Michigan, and the American Independent Party of California

The lighter blue denotes states where we will not be listed on the ballot itself, but will be designated as a legitimate write-in choice. This designation allows for our votes to actually be tallied and counted.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Currently, it seems as if Hawkins/Walker will get on some 30-35 state ballots + DC and achieve write-in-status in 10 or so others. They only failed completely in a few states, such as SD.

Filing for write in status is absurdly easy almost everywhere if you actually try (the fact that Kanye West hasn't bothered to file for write in status anywhere he's not on the ballot indicates how little he cares about this campaign), and Hawkins is trying that. The only states he COULD miss write in access are the states which flat out don't allow write in voting.

For write-in you need a volunteer to be an elector for each electoral vote, to fill out a form and get it notarized.  COVID has made that more difficult, esp for candidates without an already existing infrastructure.

[Tender Branson]

PA's Supreme Court has just ruled that the Democratic challenge against Howie Hawkins (Green) is dismissed:

On September 9, Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court Judge J. Andrew Crompton issued an opinion in In Re Nomination Paper of Scroggin, 460 M.D. 2020. The opinion rejects the challenge against Howie Hawkins being on the ballot for President. However, it accepts the challenge to his vice-presidential running mate, Angela Walker.

The basis for the objection had been that the stand-in presidential and vice-presidential candidates had not submitted proper declarations of candidacy. But it turns out the stand-in presidential candidate did submit a declaration of candidacy, although the vice-presidential stand-in did not. The objectors had argued the candidacy statement for the presidential stand-in was flawed, but the judge felt it was sufficient.

https://ballot-access.org/2020/09/09/pennsylvania-commonwealth-court-keeps-howie-hawkins-on-the-ballot/

Howie Hawkins will be on the ballot in PA, but not his vice-presidential candidate Angela Walker.

Hawkins will be on the ballot in the seven most populous states: California, Texas, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Ohio. The most populous state in which he is not on the ballot is Georgia.

[Tender Branson]

Apparently, there's a Commonwealth Court in PA and a Supreme Court as well.

After the Commonwealth Court ruling yesterday in favour of Hawkins (Green) appearing on the ballot, the Democrats in PA are now asking the Supreme Court of PA to remove him again.

https://ballot-access.org/2020/09/10/democratic-challengers-to-howie-hawkins-ask-pennsylvania-supreme-court-to-reverse-commonwealth-court/

And in WI, the state Supreme Court has asked town clerks to stop the mailing of postal ballots to voters until they have decided if Hawkins and/or Kanye can appear on the ballot or not.

https://ballot-access.org/2020/09/10/wisconsin-supreme-court-pauses-mailing-of-absentee-ballots-until-it-decides-if-howie-hawkins-and-or-kanye-west-should-be-on-ballot/

This is problematic, because town clerks have already prepared more than 300.000 ballots without their names on for postal distribution in the next days. Many have already been sent to voters !

If the Court rules in favour of them being included, the ballots need to be printed again and sent out again. Clerks then need to make sure the old ballots, some of which might already have been cast by voters, are ruled invalid. Those voters need to vote again.

[DaleCooper]

Apparently, there's a Commonwealth Court in PA and a Supreme Court as well.

After the Commonwealth Court ruling yesterday in favour of Hawkins (Green) appearing on the ballot, the Democrats in PA are now asking the Supreme Court of PA to remove him again.

https://ballot-access.org/2020/09/10/democratic-challengers-to-howie-hawkins-ask-pennsylvania-supreme-court-to-reverse-commonwealth-court/

And in WI, the state Supreme Court has asked town clerks to stop the mailing of postal ballots to voters until they have decided if Hawkins and/or Kanye can appear on the ballot or not.

https://ballot-access.org/2020/09/10/wisconsin-supreme-court-pauses-mailing-of-absentee-ballots-until-it-decides-if-howie-hawkins-and-or-kanye-west-should-be-on-ballot/

This is problematic, because town clerks have already prepared more than 300.000 ballots without their names on for postal distribution in the next days. Many have already been sent to voters !

If the Court rules in favour of them being included, the ballots need to be printed again and sent out again. Clerks then need to make sure the old ballots, some of which might already have been cast by voters, are ruled invalid. Those voters need to vote again.

I was under the impression that the Supreme Court intervention was based solely on the question of whether to include Hawkins. Kanye West, I believe, is filing a separate lawsuit that is being addressed by a lower court.

[Minnesota Mike]

https://twitter.com/jrrosswrites/status/1305623019382022147

[SnowLabrador]

https://twitter.com/jrrosswrites/status/1305623019382022147

A surprise, but a pleasant one for once. Still, third parties will be lucky to get 1% total; there's really not much appetite for it this year.

[Nyvin]

Hagedorn again sides with the 3 liberals on the court for a 4-3 decision on keeping the Greens off the ballot.

He's actually not as bad as I thought.

[Ferguson97]

Hagedorn again sides with the 3 liberals on the court for a 4-3 decision on keeping the Greens off the ballot.

He's actually not as bad as I thought.

Gives me hope for him to do the right thing in a “Trump sues to get mail in ballots overturned” scenario

[Nyvin]

Also today - It's confirmed the Green Party will not be on the Montana ballot (for all offices) -

https://twitter.com/marceelias/status/1305631853253218305

[TrumpBritt24]

Tom Hoefling has achieved write-in access in Arkansas.

[Tender Branson]

The ballot access picture for Howie Hawkins (Greens) gets clearer:



The legal battles in WI & MT are resolved (not on the ballot, only write-in access).

PA is still ongoing.

Not sure about the other 6 legal battles on their map.

The Wikipedia map differs in numerous states, mostly write-in or not:

[Tender Branson]

Does anyone know if Hawkins will get write-in access in WI, or is he off the ballot for good ?

[Tender Branson]

Now that Hawkins has been ordered off the WI ballot by the Supreme Court, the clerks can send out the ballots by the September 19 deadline. No change to the ballots is needed. Those that were already sent out are fine too.

Meanwhile, Kanye West has also appealed to the WI Supreme Court, but his case will 100% get dismissed too as the SC has already declared it is too late to change ballots:

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/09/greens-off-wisconsin-ballot-kanye-hanging-on-by-a-thread.html

[GeorgiaModerate]

Hawkins off the ballot in RI:

https://twitter.com/Politics1com/status/1305891990219837440