Arkansas Green Party Makes Ballot
June 30, 2010 in Ballot Access, State Party News
The Arkansas Green Party needed 10,000 signatures to get on the ballot this fall. The Secretary of State certified 11,505 signatures putting them on the ballot.
From Ballot Access News:
The Arkansas Secretary of State has checked the Green Party’s ballot access petition and found it sufficient. The party needed 10,000 valid signatures and submitted 14,207. The Secretary of State says there are 11,505 valid signatures, for a validity rate of 81.0%.
This is the third election year in a row that the Green Party has successfully completed this petition. The only other party that ever completed it was the Reform Party, in 1996.
Arkansas did not require any petition for a party to appear on the ballot until 1971. Parties merely had to hold a nominating convention and certify the names of the nominees to the Secretary of State, before 1971.
The Arkansas Green Party is currently in court, not against the 10,000 signature petition, but against the state law that says a party should lose its qualified status after a presidential election if it doesn’t poll as much as 3% of the vote for President.
On a side note, one of the co-chairs of the Green Party of the United States Steering Committee Craig Thorsen (CA) and a National Committee Delegate Audrey Clement (VA) both traveled to Arkansas to assist with collecting signatures.
There is a growing movement among the GPUS National Committee to provide more support for Ballot Access initiatives across the U.S. If the Green Party had an army of volunteers and some funding states like Texas could turn to internal support rather than external support.
Green Party Fan said on July 1, 2010
Great Green Party news! Thank you.
Tonight is supposed to be the big vote on the $30 Billion dollar war supplemental…Green Party candidates are leading the opposition..
Many Green Party candidates like Natale Stracuzzi (DC Statehood/Green Party) Ron Fisher, Janet Murphy have signed petition to bring troops home, defund wars…
Tonight the House of Representatives will try to vote over $30 Billion to escalate the war in Afganistan. Here’s how it’s expected to go down (thanks to Peace Action for some of this):
First they’ll vote on unemployment insurance as a stand-alone bill.
Then, following some unrelated votes, they’ll debate and vote on the Rule for the Supplemental. Rules are procedural votes that cauc uses of congress members serious about blocking something can vote against. Progressives don’t tend to be serious, but there’s a first time for everything, and we should ask them to vote No on the Rule. A small group of Blue Dogs and Progressives is urging this.
Then they’ll debate and vote on amendments to the supplemental. These are expected to include two good amendments to the war spending, which risk however providing members who vote Yes on the money the excuse that they also voted Yes on good amendments.
Presumably the amendments will also include an amendment for spending on useful things like disaster relief and schools. Perhaps the war escalation spending will also be voted on as an amendment — it’s not clear.
Then the “last votes” will come in the evening. Presumably these will include a vote on the complete package of the Supplemental.
Regardless of exactly how it goes, our demand is simple: VOTE NO!
Vote No on the Rule! Vote No on the war escalation funding if offered separately! Vote No on a bill that includes the war escalation funding!
Greens say they’ve identified enough members of Obama’s party that will vote NO…to make the supplemental fail…if the Oil Party of Bush votes no for whatever corporate reason…
Call your Representative through the Capitol Hill switchboard: (202) 224-31
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/whipwars
Green Party Fan said on July 1, 2010
sorry..
the number is 202-224-3121
Carol Servul said on July 2, 2010
I love that article,
thanks :)
Carol