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Ballot Access

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Ballot Access

Libertarian Candidate Faces Uphill Ballot Battle To Challenge Marjorie Taylor Greene

Before she can make her case to the voters, Angela Pence has to collect signatures that she would not need if she were a Democrat or a Republican.

Joe Lancaster | 3.10.2022 11:15 AM

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Elections

Voting Out Incumbents Boosts Economic Growth, Decreases Corruption

A new paper makes the economic case for throwing the bums out as often as possible.

Eric Boehm | 2.22.2022 1:40 PM

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Ballot Access

Libertarian Party of Georgia Loses Ballot Access Lawsuit

Having to collect as many as 20,000 signatures for a House race was not considered a "severe" burden by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Brian Doherty | 1.7.2022 6:19 PM

Free Speech

"U.S. District Court Puts Maine Libertarian Party on the Ballot for 2022"

Eugene Volokh |The Volokh Conspiracy | 12.31.2021 1:23 PM

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Election 2020

The Man Who Finished Last

One presidential candidate received approximately 29 votes. He's surprised he got that many.

Jesse Walker | 11.10.2020 12:23 PM

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Comedy

Citizen vs. Government (Vol. 4)

Bewildering answers to simple questions

Austin Bragg and Andrew Heaton | 9.23.2020 12:15 PM

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Kanye West

Despite Reports, Kanye West Apparently Still Running for President

He has added strong anti-abortion and anti-vaccine views to his public profile, and said it was racist to think blacks needed to vote Democrat.

Brian Doherty | 7.15.2020 3:20 PM

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Libertarian Party

Libertarian Party Wins COVID-19-Related Lawsuit Over Ballot Access in Illinois

COVID-19 was making the traditional means of collecting petition signatures impossible.

Brian Doherty | 4.22.2020 2:30 PM

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Christmas

Remy: The First Noel (Ballot Access Parody)

Because the world needs another ballot access Christmas carol.

Remy and Austin Bragg | 12.23.2019 12:08 PM

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Election 2020

Federal Judge Says California Can't Force Trump To Release His Tax Returns in Exchange for Ballot Access

Written ruling says the state is violating the rights of voters as well as the presidential candidates.

Scott Shackford | 10.2.2019 2:00 PM

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HomePage

Amash Bill Would Prohibit Unequal Ballot Access Laws, Straight-Ticket Voting in Congressional Elections

The libertarian-leaning Michigan congressman takes aim at two scourges of American democracy, despite what it would mean for his party's political interests.

Eric Boehm | 3.13.2019 11:50 AM

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HomePage

Maine Decides All Its Registered Libertarian Voters Are No Longer Registered Libertarians

Now the Party needs to register over 5,000 voters to get on the ballot in 2020, even though it already had that many before the state arbitrarily changed their registration.

Brian Doherty | 12.18.2018 4:15 PM

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HomePage

How Third Parties Are Getting Screwed This Election Season

Republicans and Democrats hate each other. They love their own power even more.

Matt Welch and Alexis Garcia | 10.26.2018 1:00 PM

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HomePage

Send the Straight-Ticket Ballot Option Straight to the Trash

Having a "one-punch" option to choose every candidate from a political party alters election results, changes politicians' behavior, and reinforces the advantage of the locally dominant party.

Matt Welch | 9.13.2018 7:05 AM

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HomePage

Straight-Ticket Voting Struck Down in Michigan

6th Circuit rejects argument that eliminating the one-vote ability to choose a political party's entire candidate slate amounts to intentional racial discrimination. Ruling could have impact in New Mexico.

Matt Welch | 9.6.2018 11:47 AM

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HomePage

Libertarian Party Achieves "Major Party" Status in New Mexico

Brian Doherty | 1.30.2018 7:00 PM

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Hit & Run

Victory for Third-Party Ballot Access in Georgia

A federal appeals court in Atlanta upheld last year's ruling that Georgia ballot access laws violated the Constitution.

Lindsay Marchello | 2.2.2017 4:45 PM

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Hit & Run

Ohio to Libertarian Party: You Can't Qualify for the Ballot By Winning Votes Since We Won't Let You on the Ballot

One dissenting justice on Ohio Supreme Court says that the group of people who got Johnson on the ballot deserve ballot status even if their candidate appeared as an "independent."

Brian Doherty | 1.23.2017 8:23 PM

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HomePage

Did the Libertarian Party Blow It in 2016?

Brian Doherty and Matt Welch | 1.7.2017 7:00 AM

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Hit & Run

Washington State Set to Deny Libertarian Party Major Party Status, Based on Write-In Votes

Even though the state generally doesn't count write-in votes; but any tool to hobble the Libertarians might be good enough.

Brian Doherty | 12.2.2016 7:34 PM

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How Gary Johnson's Vote Percentages Will Affect Libertarian Party Ballot Access, State By State

Here is a list of what the Libertarian Party will get in terms of automatic, petition-free ballot access if certain vote percentages in that state are hit.

Brian Doherty | 11.3.2016 8:35 AM

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HomePage

Has Evan McMullin Proven He Has Party-Building Power?

His ballot access record doesn't really show it.

Brian Doherty | 10.27.2016 2:47 PM

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HomePage

Ballot Access: Another Way Dems and the GOP Screw Third Parties

Election law expert Richard Winger looks at ballot access issues in the 2016 election.

Alexis Garcia | 9.30.2016 10:37 AM

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HomePage

Even Donald Trump Wants Gary Johnson in the Debates

Sixteen years ago, Trump advocated opening up the presidential debates to third parties. His arguments hold true today.

Nick Gillespie and Todd Krainin | 9.26.2016 10:00 AM

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Evan McMullin Gratuitously Denied Ballot Access in Florida, Because That's What the Duopoly Does

Gary Johnson is hardly the only third-party candidate to get democracy'd good and hard

Matt Welch | 9.16.2016 5:48 PM

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Hit & Run

Evan McMullin, Independent Running for Anti-Trump Republicans, Makes Utah Ballot, Misses California

Gary Johnson campaign manager Ron Nielson does not think this will harm Johnson in Utah, currently his most promising state.

Brian Doherty | 8.16.2016 2:14 AM

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Hit & Run

Gary Johnson Now Almost Certain to Get on Ohio Ballot as Independent

The issue of whether his name can be swapped in for those whose names were actually on the ballot access petition has been resolved in Johnson's favor.

Brian Doherty | 8.15.2016 2:14 PM

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HomePage

Ohio Might Try to Stall Its Way to Keeping Gary Johnson Off the Ballot

Complicated ballot access shenanigans, based in seeing ambiguities in the law that might not exist, make Gary Johnson's presence as an independent on Ohio's ballot in November still in flux.

Brian Doherty | 8.12.2016 5:33 PM

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Hit & Run

Libertarian Party of Connecticut, with Help of ACLU, Wins Ballot Access Petitioner Lawsuit

State practice of requiring signature-gatherers to be residents of Connecticut overturned by U.S. District Court judge

Brian Doherty | 8.11.2016 7:01 PM

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Gary Johnson Still Very Likely to Appear on Ohio Ballot, Just Not as a Libertarian

Ohio's ballot access rules are especially hostile to third parties, forcing candidates to run as independents in Buckeye State.

Anthony Fisher | 8.9.2016 8:20 PM

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HomePage

Libertarian Party in Maine Needs 5,000 Registered Voters By Tomorrow for Easy Ballot Access

Brian Doherty | 7.11.2016 7:16 PM

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Politics

Can David French (Or Anyone Else) Get on the Ballot for President this Year?

By signature collection or by lawsuit, hard, but not impossible.

Brian Doherty | 6.1.2016 4:05 PM

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Politics

Illinois Libertarian Party Wins Court Victory for Easier Ballot Access

Brian Doherty | 2.16.2016 4:43 PM

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Politics

Ohio Republicans Spent More Than Half a Million Keeping Libertarian Gubernatorial Candidate Charlie Earl Off Ballot

Earl could have siphoned votes away from Republican Gov. John Kasich.

Elizabeth Nolan Brown | 7.17.2015 7:00 AM

Politics

Libertarian Party Gets Official Major Party Status in DC

Candidate gets enough votes in failed challenge of delegate to not have to seek ballot access

Reason Staff | 11.6.2012 11:13 PM

Politics

Gary Johnson Officially On The Ballot In Pennsylvania

Garrett Quinn | 10.12.2012 7:37 AM

Politics

Gary Johnson Makes Penn. Ballot

Fights off Republican Party challenge

Reason Staff | 10.11.2012 11:05 AM

Politics

Johnson Wins First Round of Ballot Battle in Pennsylvania

Garrett Quinn | 9.16.2012 11:47 AM

Politics

Gary Johnson One Step Closer to PA Ballot

The Libertarian is fighting a GOP effort to keep him away from voters

Reason Staff | 9.14.2012 5:32 PM

Politics

Johnson/Gray Now On More Ballots Than Barr/Root In 2008

The Libertarians are on the cusp of obtaining nationwide ballot access for the first time since 1996. Can they do it?

Garrett Quinn | 9.12.2012 1:04 PM

Politics

Libertarians Can Sue Illinois over Ballot Access Rules

Third parties have requirements the two big guys don't

Reason Staff | 9.11.2012 6:00 PM

Politics

Gary Johnson's OK Week

While all eyes were focused on Tampa the Libertarian candidate's campaign trudged along.

Garrett Quinn | 9.1.2012 11:25 PM

Politics

Gary Johnson Survives Effort To Bounce Him from Iowa Ballot

If you guess the GOP was behind it, you're a winner!

Reason Staff | 8.30.2012 1:16 PM

Politics

GOP Trying to Boot Johnson off Pennsylvania Ballot

Republicans challenging signatures.

Reason Staff | 8.22.2012 7:00 PM

Politics

Gary Johnson Has Another Ballot Access Issue

Garrett Quinn | 8.22.2012 9:26 AM

Politics

Is the GOP Still a "Major Party" in Washington State? The Libertarian Party Says No, and Sues to Get Romney off the Ballot

Brian Doherty | 8.20.2012 8:01 PM

Politics

The Two Gary Johnsons

A Texas namesake helps the Libertarian Prez candidate fight Michigan's attempt to throw him off the ballot.

Garrett Quinn | 8.19.2012 8:25 AM

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