Nader ballot access

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

There as been a lot of discussion in various threads about which ballots Nader is and isn't on.  I thought it might be useful if we pooled our collective wisdoms and tried to put all this info into one thread.

Here's what I have.  I will update the list as deadlines pass and we get more information.

So far, 7 states have had their filing deadlines pass:

NO
Arizona - Nader conceded a potential court battle
Indiana - failed to collect enough signatures

PROBABLY NO
Texas - didn't file enough signatures, but sued to get on ballot (info two months old)
North Carolina...Nader actually has until 7/20 to collect signature, but he requires 100,000 and the campaign acknowledges they will probably fall short


MAYBE?
Illinois - signatures filed, but they are being challenged by Democrats
Michigan - Republicans turned in enough signatures to get him on the ballot, but Nader campaign has said they won't accept them.  Nader still trying to get on through Reform Party.
South Carolina - turned in 11,000 signatures with 10,000 valid ones required.

YES
Colorado - Nader gets on with Reform Party (or by simply paying filing fee)
Nevada - filed enough signatures

NO INFORMATION
Georgia - over 30,000 signatures required
Oklahoma - over 30,000 signatures required

Next deadlines are July 26 with New Jersey and Missouri.  Missouri requires 10,000 signatures, NJ only 800.

[Andrew]

According to Matt Crehan, chairman of the Reform Party of Michigan, Nader is not on the Michigan ballot (as of July 9).  He told me they are considering it.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

What was the Reform Party in South Carolina is now calling itself the Independence Party and who, if anyone, they are pulling for to be President I don't know, but that is Nader's only chance forgetting on the ballot if his petition drive fails.
The other six certified parties (Constitution, Democratic, Green, Libertarian, Republican, and United Citizens) have all selected other candidates to support.  (United Citizens is a local ultra-left party that provided Nader's ballot access in 2000 [the Greens only recently became certified when the state's Natural Law party instead of disbanding became the state's Green Party] but this year they are supporting the Socialist slate.)  It takes the same number of signatures (10,000) to run for statewide office as a petition candiate in South Carolina as it does to become a certified party, but the deadline for becoming a certified party in time for this year's general election was six months ago and also requires some other formalities besides signatures, so I doubt that there will be another certified party in South Carolina for the 2004 General Election.  Getting a third party started in South Carolina take a good bit of effort, but once you have a third party, its very easy to maintain certification, which helps to explain why the Natural Law party became the Green Party in South Carolina.  It was much easier for the Greens to gain party status than by starting from scratch.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

According to Matt Crehan, chairman of the Reform Party of Michigan, Nader is not on the Michigan ballot (as of July 9).  He told me they are considering it.

You're right...it seems he's trying to get signatures right now (with the help of Republicans)...he needs over 30,000.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

UPDATE - Nader apparently WILL be on the ballot in Nevada....he filed more than double the number of required signatures.  I'm not sure what became of the running mate issue.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

Here's an update on the situation in Michigan:

   Ralph Nader's WH '04 campaign "thought it was on track to put him" on MI's ballot as the Reform Party candidate. "But there's more than one Reform Party. And until they decide who's in charge, Nader can't be the candidate of either," says Sec/State Terri Lynn Land.
      That confusion "means that for now, Nader is out" of the WH race in MI, unless supporters, including state GOPers, gather the minimum 30K petition signatures to put Nader on the 11/04 ballot.
      Nader's name was submitted 6/25 to Land "as the official candidate of the Reform Party of Michigan." The document "was signed by John Muntz, who identified himself" as the Reform Party chair. The letter "also was signed by Eleanor Renfrew as the Reform Party secretary." But Matthew Crehan, not Muntz, is the Reform Party of Michigan chair. Muntz is chair of the Independence Party of Michigan, according to Sec/State records.
      The difference "is the Independence Party is affiliated with the Reform Party USA, which indeed has endorsed" Nader for pres. But the Reform Party of Michigan "is not aligned with the Reform Party USA. And it has not endorsed Nader." Crehan "said Nader's campaign never even asked for his party's endorsement."
      Land's decision "not to accept Nader for the ballot drew harsh words" from nat'l Reform Party USA chair Shawn O'Hara. O'Hara "said Muntz's group is the only one recognized" by the nat'l party. "And he vowed to sue 'that lily-white' Land for discriminating against Nader because of his Middle Eastern heritage, and the Hispanic lineage" of VP candidate Peter Camejo. O'Hara: "Every Arab-American in Michigan should raise their fist in anger that this discrimination is going on" (Christoff, Detroit Free Press, 7/13).

(The racial accusation at the end of this is hilarious.)

[khirkhib]

Nader has lost it.

[khirkhib]

He's a honky too.
[/url]http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&ncid=696&e=5&u=/ap/20040714/ap_on_el_pr/kerry_web_sites[/url]
----------------------------------------

Ralph Nader (news - web sites) is seeking an apology from a member of Congress who used what the independent presidential candidate called an "obscene racist epithet" when Nader met with black legislators last month. But the lawmaker denies uttering any obscenity to Nader and doesn't plan to apologize.

Nader says North Carolina Rep. Mel Watt made the remark at a June 22 meeting as some members of the Congressional Black Congress angrily demanded that he quit his presidential campaign.

In a letter sent Tuesday to Watt and Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus (news - web sites), Nader claims Watt called him "another arrogant white man" — with an obscenity included for emphasis.

"I had expected an expression of regret or apology from Congressman Watt in the subsequent days after he had cooled down," Nader writes in the letter.

Melissa Williamson, a spokeswoman for Watt, said the congressman did not use any obscenity against Nader.

The testy meeting featured several loud exchanges that reporters could hear outside the meeting room in the basement of the U.S. Capitol. Many Democrats are angry at Nader's campaign because they believe he will take votes away from John Kerry, the presumed Democratic nominee.

___

Oh and an extreme right group wants to help Nader get on the ballot in Oregon, they are out in the open about it now.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&ncid=696&e=3&u=/ap/20040714/ap_on_el_pr/nader

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Here's an update on the situation in Michigan:

   Ralph Nader's WH '04 campaign "thought it was on track to put him" on MI's ballot as the Reform Party candidate. "But there's more than one Reform Party. And until they decide who's in charge, Nader can't be the candidate of either," says Sec/State Terri Lynn Land.
      That confusion "means that for now, Nader is out" of the WH race in MI, unless supporters, including state GOPers, gather the minimum 30K petition signatures to put Nader on the 11/04 ballot.
      Nader's name was submitted 6/25 to Land "as the official candidate of the Reform Party of Michigan." The document "was signed by John Muntz, who identified himself" as the Reform Party chair. The letter "also was signed by Eleanor Renfrew as the Reform Party secretary." But Matthew Crehan, not Muntz, is the Reform Party of Michigan chair. Muntz is chair of the Independence Party of Michigan, according to Sec/State records.
      The difference "is the Independence Party is affiliated with the Reform Party USA, which indeed has endorsed" Nader for pres. But the Reform Party of Michigan "is not aligned with the Reform Party USA. And it has not endorsed Nader." Crehan "said Nader's campaign never even asked for his party's endorsement."
      Land's decision "not to accept Nader for the ballot drew harsh words" from nat'l Reform Party USA chair Shawn O'Hara. O'Hara "said Muntz's group is the only one recognized" by the nat'l party. "And he vowed to sue 'that lily-white' Land for discriminating against Nader because of his Middle Eastern heritage, and the Hispanic lineage" of VP candidate Peter Camejo. O'Hara: "Every Arab-American in Michigan should raise their fist in anger that this discrimination is going on" (Christoff, Detroit Free Press, 7/13).

(The racial accusation at the end of this is hilarious.)

Wow, that's too funny. In Michigan, Nader has
5% approval
89% disapproval

Is Nader trying to make that worse?

[Rixtex]

PROBABLY NO
Texas - didn't file enough signatures, but sued to get on ballot (info two months old)

Texas is a definite no. Texas' ballot access law has been upheld many times, for good or ill.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

Here's an update from The Hotline on the Michigan situation:

Sell Out?
      The MI GOP handed in 43K signatures on 7/15 to get Ralph Nader on the state ballot, but a Nader spokesperson said he still plans to get on "through the Reform Party," despite a "disagreement" over who represents the party in MI.
      It's "unclear" what Nader will do about the GOP-collected signatures putting him on the ballot as an indy candidate. Nader Spokesperson Kevin Zeese "initially" said on 7/15 the campaign would "not" accept the signatures. He later said he "wasn't sure" that was still the case if state officials wouldn't accept the Reform Party nomination.
      To get on the ballot as an indy candidate, Nader needed to submit 30K valid signatures by 4 p.m. on 7/15 (Lansing State Journal, 7/16).
      However, Naderfactor.com's Tricia Enright writes that according to the AP, Nader will "not" accept the 30K signatures from GOPers in MI. Enright: "This is really terrific news. Certainly all longtime Nader supporters and progressives will be pleased to know that Mr. Nader has decided it would be unseemly to accept the help from the same right wing Republicans who have destroyed so much of what he's worked for throughout his career. ... He should be applauded for putting his personal integrity before his political gain" (release, 7/15).

I will update the above list.

[Lunar]

Good and bad news for Kerry.  The biggest blow is that Nader is on in Ohio, followed by Nevada and then the Midwest (Nader does well in the Midwest, it would have helped Kerry greatly if he Nader couldn't get on).

The good news is Nader missing West Virginia and New Mexico.  Nader got 3.55% in New Mexico in 2000, I think that translates into around a 1.5% boost in that state for 04.  West Virginia Nader got only 1.65%, but every little bit will help in that state.  Arizona is also good news due to Nader getting just a fraction under 3% there in 00.

Pennsylvania is the state to watch, followed by Florida, Oregon, and Michigan (in that order).

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

Good and bad news for Kerry.  The biggest blow is that Nader is on in Ohio, followed by Nevada and then the Midwest (Nader does well in the Midwest, it would have helped Kerry greatly if he Nader couldn't get on).

The good news is Nader missing West Virginia and New Mexico.  Nader got 3.55% in New Mexico in 2000, I think that translates into around a 1.5% boost in that state for 04.  West Virginia Nader got only 1.65%, but every little bit will help in that state.  Arizona is also good news due to Nader getting just a fraction under 3% there in 00.

Pennsylvania is the state to watch, followed by Florida, Oregon, and Michigan (in that order).

I think Nader is on in Florida via the Reform party.

[ijohn57s]

That whole thing in Arizona was bizzare. I don't know why Nader gave up with as many signatures as he had.

[Lunar]

I think he knew that his signatures lacked validity.  Otherwise he would have persued it and benefitted greatly from the media reporting Nader winning a slow battle against the establishment to get his name on the ballot.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I think Nader is on in Florida via the Reform party.

Possibly, but the Reform Party is in such shambles, I'm not certain. If the Reform Party had held together, Nader would have been on the SC ballot without needing to get 10,000 signatures.  I'll be extremely surprised if there are 10,000 valid signatures among the 11,000 he turned here on Thursday.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

I think Nader is on in Florida via the Reform party.

Possibly, but the Reform Party is in such shambles, I'm not certain. If the Reform Party had held together, Nader would have been on the SC ballot without needing to get 10,000 signatures.  I'll be extremely surprised if there are 10,000 valid signatures among the 11,000 he turned here on Thursday.

I mean the Reform party automatically gets their candidate on the ballot in FL....this is only true in five or six states.  One of them is Michigan, but Nader hasn't gotten on there yet because of a split between  the national and state reform parties in MI...one faction endorsed Nader and the other didn't.  I don't think this problem exisits in FL or the other Reform party-automatic states.

[CARLHAYDEN]

That whole thing in Arizona was bizzare. I don't know why Nader gave up with as many signatures as he had.

So many of the signatures were invalid that to pursue the matter would simply have resulted in the court telling Nader what any person with have a brain already knew, i.e. that he did not have enought VALID signatures.

[classical liberal]

can someone make a map using the EV calc thing or the prediction page with Nader on the ballot in one color, places where he isn't in another, and the contested statess in the third?

[CARLHAYDEN]

There is a map elsewhere on this board, but it is unreliable as, first, its not clear which of the state Reform parties will list Nader, and second, where he may get on the ballot in another fashion.

For instance, it is unclear whether Nader will be listed in Michigan as a Reform party candidate, an independent, or simply not be on the ballot.

In short, Nader's operation resembles a Keystone Kop Kommedy.

He's not likley to be a significant factor in the 2004 election unless Kerry suffers a melt-down, in which case some lefties may end up voting for Nader.

[Lunar]

Here's one way of looking at it:


Bright states are contested, gray states are unknown, blue is no Nader and red represents ballot access.

[Reds4]

I was wondering if anyone knew, is Nader going to be on the ballot in Ohio? If he isnt currently, is he attempting to get on the ballot? Thanks.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Nader has quasi-ballot access in North Carolina.  It takes 100,000 signatures for your name to be on the ballot as a petition Presidential candidate (which Nader never had a chance of getting)  but only 500 signatures to get them to count write-in votes for Nader which he did get.  Considering that some states such as South Carolina don't allow write-in votes for President, I wouldn't say that Nader has no ballot access there just very minimal access.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

Nader has quasi-ballot access in North Carolina.  It takes 100,000 signatures for your name to be on the ballot as a petition Presidential candidate (which Nader never had a chance of getting)  but only 500 signatures to get them to count write-in votes for Nader which he did get.  Considering that some states such as South Carolina don't allow write-in votes for President, I wouldn't say that Nader has no ballot access there just very minimal access.

In most states it is easy to file as a write-in candidate.   So he probably will have his votes counted in that way in virtually all the states where he is not on the ballot.  

But I can't remember any time where a write-in candidate got any meaningful number of votes.  In 2000, all write-ins combines received 0.02% of the vote, less than 1% of Nader's total.  So I don't think his campaign will have an effect in any state where he is not actually on the ballot.

[Andrew]

Nader has decided not to withdraw as an independent in Michigan.  The Democrats are filing a complaint that the Republicans contributed more than $5,000 in collecting signatures on his behalf.  Nader is still hoping that the Reform Party of Michigan will nominate him on Saturday.  They are generally right-wing, but party chairman Matt Crehan told me that they are considering him because they "agree with Nader's positions on the war in Iraq, GATT, NAFTA, and other issues besides."