Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Libertarian parties ask for petitioning relief

Third parties call for ballot access relief | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Kyle Mullins:
April 7, 2020 - "Much of politics is based on personal interactions, but in the midst of a global pandemic, such interactions can be potentially deadly. The COVID-19 outbreak has left third parties in Pennsylvania out in the cold, concerned that they may not be able to get on the ballot for key races in November due to an inability to collect signatures.
"'People aren’t willing to take a pen, or a piece of paper' from a petitioner, national Libertarian Party executive director Daniel Fishman said. Additionally, Gov. Tom Wolf’s stay-at-home orders — extended to all 67 of Pennsylvania’s counties on Wednesday — have blocked petitioners from attending now-canceled public events or going door-to-door. In response, both the national Libertarian party and the Green Party of Pennsylvania have called on Mr. Wolf and the state Legislature to waive the petitioning requirements.....
"Republicans and Democrats congressional candidates must submit 1,000 signatures to run for Congress, whereas third-party candidates must submit ... from 1,800 in District 12 to 5,753 in District 3. To run for attorney general, third parties must submit 2,500 signatures, including 250 from at least five counties.... This year, the major parties’ timeline [for petitioning] fell before many of the restrictions from the COVID-19 outbreak. The timeline for the third parties did not."
Read more: https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-state/2020/04/06/third-party-ballot-access-relief-COVID-19-election-PA-green-libertarian-parties/stories/202004060100

Libertarian Party looks for NH to waive ballot requirements due to COVID-19 | Keene Sentinel - Mia Summerson:
April 7, 2020 - "The Libertarian Party of New Hampshire has asked the state to waive the required number of signatures to put its candidates on the ballot this fall, due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The N.H. Libertarians have determined it would be a risk to public health if their members go out into the community to circulate petitions, the party said in a news release....
"[M]embers had been out collecting signatures since early January but have halted those efforts to protect 'voters, activists and those who will eventually handle these petitions....'
"The release says that, in the past, the party has regularly been able to secure the 3,000 signatures required for unrecognized parties to gain ballot access for gubernatorial or U.S. Senate candidates, the only statewide races that could get the party listed on the ballot....
"Since March 27, New Hampshire has been under a stay-at-home order issued by Gov. Chris Sununu. The order asks that people stay inside their residences as much as possible to help slow the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19."
Read more: https://www.sentinelsource.com/news/local/libertarian-party-looks-for-nh-to-waive-ballot-requirements-due-to-covid-19/article_bc5d75ed-88fc-51dc-8bfa-2ae11cab5b30.html

Libertarian Party of Wisconsin asks governor, legislative leaders to lift petition requirement to get on 2020 ballots | Channel3000 - Amy Reid:
April 10, 2020 - "The Libertarian Party of Wisconsin sent a letter to government leaders on Thursday asking for the petition requirement for getting on the ballot this fall to be lifted. Matthew Bughman, the chair for the state party, sent the letter to Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, and the state elections commission....
"Given the state’s Safer at Home Order and the current public health emergency, Bughman said it is widely believed that petition drives around the state will not be able to safely continue and asked for the petition requirement for all offices be deceased or that parties that had ballot access in 2018 be granted automatic ballot access in 2020."
Read more: https://www.channel3000.com/libertarian-party-of-wisconsin-asks-governor-legislative-leaders-to-lift-petition-requirement-to-get-on-2020-ballots/

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