Johnson Wins First Round of Ballot Battle in Pennsylvania

With a legal victory in Pennsylvania, Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson just got a little closer to his stated goal of being on the ballot in all 50 states. 

From the AP:

On Thursday, a three-judge panel of the state Commonwealth Court ruled 2-1 that signatures of about 9,000 voters are valid even though they listed addresses that do not match those in the statewide voter registry.

Challengers backed by the Republican Party argued at a hearing this week that those signatures should be disqualified, which could have knocked Johnson off the statewide ballot.

This fight isn't over for Johnson, though, as the Republicans involved are reportedly planning an appeal. 

Two people with knowledge of the petition challenge – which has been coordinated with the Pa. Republican Party – said an appeal was in the process of being filed Friday afternoon. Both said the move is typical in such disputes; state law gives litigants a presumptive right to appeal any Commonwealth Court decision.

…
"The Republican Party of Pennsylvania supports the objectors appealing the ruling issued by the Commonwealth Court because the bottom line is that not only were the Libertarian Party's nominating petitions riddled with errors, duplicate signatures and in some cases, blatant fraud, the Commonwealth Court's recent ruling will have significant consequences on the integrity of our Commonwealth's ballot access process," she said.

Johnson is on the ballot in 47 states and Washington, DC. More from me on Johnson's ballot access battles here.

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

The PA DNC must have forgotten to add its voice to challenging Johnson's inclusion on the ballot.

[BakedPenguin]

Maybe they believe their own meme about libertarians simply being super-conservatives, and are convinced that GJ would only take away votes from Romney.

[Jesus H. Christ]

I'm not sure they think they need to. My guess is they are counting on the libertarian contingent to dilute the team red vote. I don't think the dems can even imaging that some of their own would turn away from their savior in chief.

[Zeb]

Well obviously. If he was a promising looking Green candidate or something like that, I'd bet that the Republicans wouldn't have much to say (if they weren't openly supporting his appearing on the ballot).

[Stormy Dragon]

There is a green candidate on the ballot in PA: Jill Stein. The DNC didn't challenge their ballot access the way the GOP challenged the CP and the LBP.

So as much as you want to make it a "both parties do it", the GOP is the only ones being rat bastards in PA right now.

[Jesus H. Christ]

"imagine" not "imaging". I should try the preview button every once in a while.

[Scarecrow Repair]

My experience has been that preview == lost comment.

[Romulus Augustus]

Hundreds of signatures thrown out because the year wasn't included when people signed the petition. Now if eighteen ahead of you said, say, 7/5/2012 and you said 7/5 isn't it reasonable to assume you signed in 2012 and not 2011 or 2010 or some other year when Johnson wasn't even running?

[TigWow]

OK wow really? So who comes up with all this stuff?

http://www.AnonWays.tk

[SIV]

Every I-85 exit from the GA line SW through Auburn almost all the way to Montgomery has a GayJay sign on the RoW with a yellow ribbon attached. Once you get off the highway it is all Ron Paul signs on private property,often in front of residences which also house advertised small businesses.

I've hardly seen a Romney sign in the South outside the suburbs.

[Atanarjuat]

I drive all over FL and have seen approximately one Romney sign, a bunch of Ron Paul signs, and no Johnson signs.

[Colleen McCool]

Obama and Romney have forsaken the American Dream. They agree on everything that gives us NO choice. What are they going to debate?

A declaration is an affirmation. Independence means self-government. They could have called The Declaration of Independence, The Affirmation of Self-Government!

Gary Johnson and Judge Jim Gray are the only choice to Save the American Dream: Self-Government, freedom from big government tyranny and oppression.... and to Restore Justice, the guardian of Liberty!

[Mr Whipple]

Pennsylvania sucks. There were no third party candidates on the statewide ballot in 2010.

http://www.pa2012.com/2010/08/.....he-ballot/

[Kaptious Kristen]

Mitt's people need to Google "Streisand Effect" and start analyzing the cost benefit ratio of their litigiousness. I think they may be close to the tipping point where they drive people to vote for Johnson who may have been edging toward Mittens.