Quote :

"Lawsuit over ballot rules heads to trial Libertarian, Green parties say N.C. law favors 2-party system THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Thursday, January 31, 2008, Raleigh A lawsuit filed by the Libertarian and Green parties complaining that it is too difficult to get their candidates on North Carolina ballots is headed to trial after a judge declined to rule in favor of either the parties or state attorneys yesterday. Judge Leon Stanback of Wake County Superior Court denied motions for summary judgment sought by the parties and the state of North Carolina. The trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 11 but is likely to be delayed. The lawsuit, originally filed in September 2005, argues that state law setting the standards to be identified as a political party - and allowing the party’s candidates to be on the ballot - is so onerous that it violates the rights of party members to freedom of speech and association. The two parties want the state’s ballot-access laws declared unconstitutional and the judge to recognize them as official parties under state law. The law requires a party to collect nearly 70,000 voter signatures to receive official party status, making it one of the highest thresholds in the country, according to the party leaders and candidates who sued. A party must start the process again if the party’s candidate fails to get 2 percent of the vote in an election for governor. The requirement had been 10 percent of the vote until that was changed in 2006. The Libertarians often pay solicitors to help collect signatures at a cost of more than $100,000 for a successful petition. That drains resources and favors the state Democratic and Republican parties, the lawsuit says. “We’re depriving the citizens of an opportunity to make better choices because you only have two parties,” said Barbara Howe, the chairwoman of the state Libertarian Party. In a court brief, attorneys for North Carolina said that the General Assembly set objective criteria “to maintain the integrity of the election process by requiring the demonstration of a modicum of support before a political party is granted ballot access.” The Libertarian Party has surpassed the signature requirement for every presidential election since 1976 except one, state attorneys argued in court filings. The Green Party has never met the petition standard. The Libertarian Party sued when the State Board of Elections decertified it as an official party in August 2005 because it fell about 22,000 signatures short."

Dems & Reps don't want other parties getting in on their good thang.

Why should the two main parties, who currently run gov't, get to decide who gets to compete with them? I say let any party get on the ballot and then go to Instant Runoff elections.

http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=Common%2FMGArticle%2FPrintVersion&c=MGArticle&cid=1173354428348

[Edited on January 31, 2008 at 11:00 AM. Reason : .]

1/31/2008 10:59:06 AM

I've been watching this story for a while

(I would like my libertarian voter card back asap)


the 2-party election system has got to go

1/31/2008 11:34:08 AM

I strongly identify myself as a democrat, but I do believe any viable 3rd party should have a spot at the table without being held to unreasonable standards.

1/31/2008 2:12:56 PM

^
have you told the nc democratic party how you feel?

it would help if more non-third-party folks got involved

at least to spread awareness

1/31/2008 2:24:42 PM

I do believe any viable 3rd party should have a spot at the table without being held to unreasonable standards.

1/31/2008 3:09:51 PM

Quote :

"viable 3rd party"

but how is "3rd party" viability determined?

if a party is willing to pay for the costs associated with being on the ballot, who's to say that it can't be?



[Edited on January 31, 2008 at 4:22 PM. Reason : [-|-]

1/31/2008 4:21:11 PM

We're only one party away from not needing to vote at all!

1/31/2008 5:43:16 PM

Quote :

"^ have you told the nc democratic party how you feel?"

I've shared my sentiment with anyone who has asked. And I'd probably sign a appropriately worded petition that made it my way too.

2/2/2008 2:55:58 PM

the key to libertarians getting anywhere is by gaining power locally first, which is why i am all for them being on any ballot

2/3/2008 2:08:37 AM

^They've actually got quite a bit of local presence in certain areas of the state. but... apparently not enough to get 70,000 signatures.

I wonder who I could contact to sign their petition...

2/3/2008 4:57:31 AM

^

Here's the NC libertarian website....that's a good place to start

http://www.lpnc.org/

2/3/2008 10:28:11 AM

i agree with like 90% of their principals. i so wish the libertarian party could get traction

2/3/2008 2:46:08 PM

Quote :

"how is "3rd party" viability determined?"

2/3/2008 5:12:04 PM