Minor Party and Independent General Election Discussion

[PSOL]

Leonard Peltier has ceased being apart of the PSL ticket for health reasons

This Sunil Freeman guy is basically a no name in who the party usually promotes, so I’m guessing they chose him because he’s far up the hierarchy in the Washington D.C. branch, a branch that was the original branch of the WWP after the East Coast that split from the WWP to form the PSL in the first place.

[StateBoiler]

Leonard Peltier has ceased being apart of the PSL ticket for health reasons

This Sunil Freeman guy is basically a no name in who the party usually promotes, so I’m guessing they chose him because he’s far up the hierarchy in the Washington D.C. branch, a branch that was the original branch of the WWP after the East Coast that split from the WWP to form the PSL in the first place.

Considering he's in prison, I find "withdrawing for health reasons" a little disingenuous. It's not like he's going out and campaigning or anything.

[StateBoiler]

Idaho CP nominates the Blankenship/Mohr ticket.

[W]

Leonard Peltier has ceased being apart of the PSL ticket for health reasons

This Sunil Freeman guy is basically a no name in who the party usually promotes, so I’m guessing they chose him because he’s far up the hierarchy in the Washington D.C. branch, a branch that was the original branch of the WWP after the East Coast that split from the WWP to form the PSL in the first place.

A shame. Peltier's case is tragic and this ticket if anything would've drawn more attention to it.

[The Other Castro]

Good news for Libertarians in PA:

https://twitter.com/PA4Jorgensen/status/1290342801562050567

[StateBoiler]

Leonard Peltier has ceased being apart of the PSL ticket for health reasons

This Sunil Freeman guy is basically a no name in who the party usually promotes, so I’m guessing they chose him because he’s far up the hierarchy in the Washington D.C. branch, a branch that was the original branch of the WWP after the East Coast that split from the WWP to form the PSL in the first place.

A shame. Peltier's case is tragic and this ticket if anything would've drawn more attention to it.

I think it's more P&F chose Freeman, and to have unity, Peltier "withdrew" for health reasons so they have a coordinated ticket in all states. There's some time between when P&F chose their presidential ticket at their convention and when PSL announced Peltier was withdrawing from the VP nomination. If it's just the health argument, that doesn't hold much water. He's in prison, so what does his health stop him from doing? He wasn't going out and campaigning even if he was healthy.

I'm not sure why the California Peace & Freedom Party allows themselves to be dictated to by the national PSL anyway. They were about 85% of the PSL's national vote in 2016. Remove that ballot access line and PSL were no different as far as performance than the Socialist Workers Party.

[StateBoiler]

Bar petitioning to get ballot access, probably the most significant ballot access decisions left is who the American Independent Party of California nominates if anyone (which is good for at least 70k votes probably) and whether any of the New York state parties choose to nominate some of these individuals, with the most likely being the Independence Party.

[StateBoiler]

Alliance Party's take on the ballot access progress of the De La Fuente/Richardson ticket from their August newsletter:



California I read as they think the AIP nomination is in the bag.

They also say that what they are on the ballot on in Delaware, De La Fuente's personal vehicle American Delta Party, will become the Delaware Alliance Party affiliate.

[StateBoiler]

District of Columbia Lowers Presidential Petition This Year Only From 5,007 to 250

Posted on August 6, 2020  by  Richard Winger
   
On August 6, the Mayor of Washington, D.C., signed bill B23-0864. For 2020 only, it lowers the presidential petition from 5,007 signatures to 250 signatures.

The petition deadline was August 5. As far as is known, the only presidential petitions submitted were for Gloria La Riva and Brock Pierce. The District has four ballot-qualified parties: Democratic, Republican, Green, and Libertarian.

D.C. had already lowered the other district wide petitions to 250 earlier this year, but the earlier change did not include presidential petitions. La Riva filed a federal lawsuit and the city chose to settle the matter with the new legislation.

[StateBoiler]

Libertarians turn in double the petition requirement and the Greens triple in Pennsylvania.

[W]

I lost power for three days (thanks Isaias!) but I'll get this stuff updated as soon as possible.

[StateBoiler]

Colorado ballot access, per BAN:

The seven qualified parties are: Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, Green, Constitution, Unity, and Approval Voting.

The candidates who qualified by paying the fee, in alphabetical order, are: Brian Carroll (American Solidarity), Mark Charles (independent), Phil Collins (Prohibition), Rocky De La Fuente (Alliance), Dario Hunter (Progressive), Princess Jacob-Fambro (independent), Alyson Kennedy (Socialist Workers), Joseph Kishore (Socialist Equality), Kyle Kopitke (Independent American), Gloria La Riva (Socialism & Liberation), Joe McHugh (independent), Brock Pierce (independent), and Kanye West (independent).

[Kylar Nicholas]

I would bet the Libertarians get 3% and the Greens get 1%. Jo may surprise some people.

[StateBoiler]

Libertarians' Maine petition successful. BAN:

The Maine petition to get Jo Jorgensen on the ballot as the Libertarian nominee for president has enough signatures, according to the Secretary of State. This makes it moderately likely that she will be on the ballot in all 51 jurisdictions that have electoral votes. Thanks to Bill Redpath for this news.

[The Mikado]

Libertarians' Maine petition successful. BAN:

The Maine petition to get Jo Jorgensen on the ballot as the Libertarian nominee for president has enough signatures, according to the Secretary of State. This makes it moderately likely that she will be on the ballot in all 51 jurisdictions that have electoral votes. Thanks to Bill Redpath for this news.

Are Alabama and Virginia the only tricky states left for JoJo? That's my impression.

[StateBoiler]

Greens' petition in Alaska and Alliance Party's petition in Maine validated.

Greens' petition in Pennsylvania being challenged by Democratic Party leaders. No challenge to the Libertarians' petition.

[StateBoiler]

Constitution Party petition in Alaska declared valid.

Vermont is supposed to have its list for presidential candidates today. This list is expected to be huge because the state in light of Covid-19 waived all petitioning and fee requirements. The Prohibition Party for example published a couple days ago they would be on the Vermont ballot for the first time since 1928.

[AltWorlder]

Colorado ballot access, per BAN:

The seven qualified parties are: Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, Green, Constitution, Unity, and Approval Voting.

The candidates who qualified by paying the fee, in alphabetical order, are: Brian Carroll (American Solidarity), Mark Charles (independent), Phil Collins (Prohibition), Rocky De La Fuente (Alliance), Dario Hunter (Progressive), Princess Jacob-Fambro (independent), Alyson Kennedy (Socialist Workers), Joseph Kishore (Socialist Equality), Kyle Kopitke (Independent American), Gloria La Riva (Socialism & Liberation), Joe McHugh (independent), Brock Pierce (independent), and Kanye West (independent).

Who the heck are the Unity or Approval Voting parties?

[W]

Colorado ballot access, per BAN:

The seven qualified parties are: Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, Green, Constitution, Unity, and Approval Voting.

The candidates who qualified by paying the fee, in alphabetical order, are: Brian Carroll (American Solidarity), Mark Charles (independent), Phil Collins (Prohibition), Rocky De La Fuente (Alliance), Dario Hunter (Progressive), Princess Jacob-Fambro (independent), Alyson Kennedy (Socialist Workers), Joseph Kishore (Socialist Equality), Kyle Kopitke (Independent American), Gloria La Riva (Socialism & Liberation), Joe McHugh (independent), Brock Pierce (independent), and Kanye West (independent).

Who the heck are the Unity or Approval Voting parties?

Unity seems centristy, Approval Voting is single issue to wnact approval voting (candidate most people vote "approve" for gets elected, aka more confusing ranked choice)

[The Mikado]

Colorado ballot access, per BAN:

The seven qualified parties are: Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, Green, Constitution, Unity, and Approval Voting.

The candidates who qualified by paying the fee, in alphabetical order, are: Brian Carroll (American Solidarity), Mark Charles (independent), Phil Collins (Prohibition), Rocky De La Fuente (Alliance), Dario Hunter (Progressive), Princess Jacob-Fambro (independent), Alyson Kennedy (Socialist Workers), Joseph Kishore (Socialist Equality), Kyle Kopitke (Independent American), Gloria La Riva (Socialism & Liberation), Joe McHugh (independent), Brock Pierce (independent), and Kanye West (independent).

Who the heck are the Unity or Approval Voting parties?

Unity seems centristy, Approval Voting is single issue to wnact approval voting (candidate most people vote "approve" for gets elected, aka more confusing ranked choice)

Approval voting just on its face seems dumb as hell to me. RCV at least makes sense. I know political scientists seem to love approval voting, but...

It's basically:

8 people in a group. Where are we going for lunch? Raise your hand for every option that's acceptable to you.

7 hands raised for pizza
6 hands raised for Chinese
6 hands raised for sub sandwiches
5 hands raised for burgers

Pizza it is. Most broadly acceptable choice.

It just...doesn't seem RIGHT for a political process, though.

[StateBoiler]

Colorado ballot access, per BAN:

The seven qualified parties are: Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, Green, Constitution, Unity, and Approval Voting.

The candidates who qualified by paying the fee, in alphabetical order, are: Brian Carroll (American Solidarity), Mark Charles (independent), Phil Collins (Prohibition), Rocky De La Fuente (Alliance), Dario Hunter (Progressive), Princess Jacob-Fambro (independent), Alyson Kennedy (Socialist Workers), Joseph Kishore (Socialist Equality), Kyle Kopitke (Independent American), Gloria La Riva (Socialism & Liberation), Joe McHugh (independent), Brock Pierce (independent), and Kanye West (independent).

Who the heck are the Unity or Approval Voting parties?

Unity seems centristy, Approval Voting is single issue to wnact approval voting (candidate most people vote "approve" for gets elected, aka more confusing ranked choice)

Unity Party is a centrist party based out of Colorado. They seem a natural fit for the Alliance Party. I know their VP nominee Bodelstab "attended" the Alliance Party Presidential Selection Convention.

[StateBoiler]

Colorado ballot access, per BAN:

The seven qualified parties are: Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, Green, Constitution, Unity, and Approval Voting.

The candidates who qualified by paying the fee, in alphabetical order, are: Brian Carroll (American Solidarity), Mark Charles (independent), Phil Collins (Prohibition), Rocky De La Fuente (Alliance), Dario Hunter (Progressive), Princess Jacob-Fambro (independent), Alyson Kennedy (Socialist Workers), Joseph Kishore (Socialist Equality), Kyle Kopitke (Independent American), Gloria La Riva (Socialism & Liberation), Joe McHugh (independent), Brock Pierce (independent), and Kanye West (independent).

Who the heck are the Unity or Approval Voting parties?

Unity seems centristy, Approval Voting is single issue to wnact approval voting (candidate most people vote "approve" for gets elected, aka more confusing ranked choice)

Approval voting just on its face seems dumb as hell to me. RCV at least makes sense. I know political scientists seem to love approval voting, but...

It's basically:

8 people in a group. Where are we going for lunch? Raise your hand for every option that's acceptable to you.

7 hands raised for pizza
6 hands raised for Chinese
6 hands raised for sub sandwiches
5 hands raised for burgers

Pizza it is. Most broadly acceptable choice.

It just...doesn't seem RIGHT for a political process, though.

I read a post somewhere else for the American Solidarity Party where they were discussing a past selection of their national board. They used approval voting for it. All the more conservative members only voted for conservatives and all the more liberal members only voted for liberals. More conservatives present, so they took all the seats. One of them chose to withdraw to allow a moderate onto the board in the spirit of the party and they decided to drop approval voting after that.

I feel it's one of those things that sounds great in theory but when you apply it to politics, people are going to game the system toward getting the result they desire, so it's one of those things that fall apart due to the gaming.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Colorado ballot access, per BAN:

The seven qualified parties are: Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, Green, Constitution, Unity, and Approval Voting.

The candidates who qualified by paying the fee, in alphabetical order, are: Brian Carroll (American Solidarity), Mark Charles (independent), Phil Collins (Prohibition), Rocky De La Fuente (Alliance), Dario Hunter (Progressive), Princess Jacob-Fambro (independent), Alyson Kennedy (Socialist Workers), Joseph Kishore (Socialist Equality), Kyle Kopitke (Independent American), Gloria La Riva (Socialism & Liberation), Joe McHugh (independent), Brock Pierce (independent), and Kanye West (independent).

Who the heck are the Unity or Approval Voting parties?

Unity seems centristy, Approval Voting is single issue to wnact approval voting (candidate most people vote "approve" for gets elected, aka more confusing ranked choice)

Approval voting just on its face seems dumb as hell to me. RCV at least makes sense. I know political scientists seem to love approval voting, but...

It's basically:

8 people in a group. Where are we going for lunch? Raise your hand for every option that's acceptable to you.

7 hands raised for pizza
6 hands raised for Chinese
6 hands raised for sub sandwiches
5 hands raised for burgers

Pizza it is. Most broadly acceptable choice.

It just...doesn't seem RIGHT for a political process, though.

Oddly enough Fargo, ND uses it for City Council elections. I think it's the only municipality in the country that does.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Not official yet, but it looks like ASP has met the requirements to be on the ballot in Wisconsin, according to an announcement in the facebook group.

[Tender Branson]

The LIB party is still on track for all 50 states + DC ballot access.

The Greens will be on the ballot in ca. 40 states + DC and ca. 8 or so with write-in-only access and so far they are only missing the SD ballot completely.