How are you getting Gary Johnson on the California ballot?

Hello all,
As you know, Gary Johnson is the LP's nominee for POTUS. Before he can
appear on the New York State ballot, we at the LPNY must canvass
registered NYS voters, and only NYS registered voters, and ask them to
sign our petitions. (I've posted, in PDF format, a sample petition at
the "Files" folder, and you could see more details about this process
here: http://manhattanlp.org/election-2012/petitioning/
<http://manhattanlp.org/election-2012/petitioning/> )
The signer must provide his/her signature, printed name, and residence
where they registered to vote. This "Ballot Access Petitioning" requires
us to submit 15,000 valid signatures to the Board of Elections by August
21, though LPNY's controllers declared August 15 as the cutoff for
petitioning so they could collate and prepare these petitions and
signatures.
Mind you, 15,000 valid signatures is the technical requirement. Should
we submit only 15,000, Republican and Democratic challengers could
inspect the petitions, find one indecipherable name or one unregistered
voter, and tell a Board of Elections official. The official will then
declare GJ off the NYS ballot because of insufficient ballots--only
14,999 valid signatures were submitted. So to stave off any such
challenge, we plan to submit at least 30,000 signatures.
I don't know whether you folks in California have to through this
rigmarole, but petitioning is hard work. I should know because I'm
currently engaged in this "productive activity." While the importance of
petitioning should call for an "all hands on deck" commitment from every
LPNY member to procure valid signatures, unfortunately many choose to
sit it out. Thus, volunteers alone could not possibly procure the volume
required, so we must hire "professional petitioners." And they don't
come cheap as each signature they procure costs between $2.00 and $3.00.
(Anyone want to donate to our petition drive?)
Anyhow, while I'm on track to procure over 500 signatures by August 15,
I'm uncertain about our current progress as our controllers prefer not
to reveal our progress so to keep challengers in the dark, but I'm
confident that we will provide the magic 30,000 signatures. (When
citizens who sign ask me about the progress, I'd tell them we're more
than halfway and still need much work. I might even ask if they'd like
to volunteer; no takers yet.)
So now that I've told you what we in the LPNY must go through to get
Gary Johnson on the NYS ballot, pray tell, how will you get GJ on the
California ballot?
Thank you for reading.
Alton Yee

Hi Alton,

  Fortunately I believe it's just a formality at this point in California, due to the LP having ballot-qualified status here, but now that the "Top Two" primary law is in effect, that status, which has depended on getting 2% of the vote in a statewide ballot race, could be jeopardized, if we do not qualify by the other allowable means, which is having a minimum number of voters in the state registered Libertarian (something like 92,000 iirc).

  Richard Winger may be able to give you a more specific/accurate answer.

Love & Liberty,
                                 ((( starchild )))

Hi Starchild,

Good to hear from you and thanks for your reply.

Let's see if I understand you correctly.

The CA LP currently has "ballot-qualified status" because it got 2% of
the vote in a statewide ballot race. According to wiki answers, "As of
2008, 17,304,091 people were registered to vote in CA." I couldn't find
the vote count from a statewide ballot race, but let's say 10,000,000
people voted. That means that the LP candidate got 200,000 votes. That
would truly be an amazing vote count for the LP candidate.

To put that number in perspective, for the LPNY to get "ballot-qualified
status," its gubernatorial candidate must receive over 50,000 votes. In
2010, its gubernatorial candidate received a little over 48,000 votes.
Close, but no cigars.

To receive "ballot-qualified status," is the holy grail of third party
politics in NY. Had the LPNY received this status, it would mean its
members would not have to canvass registered voters to sign petitions
for the next four years, until the next gubernatorial race. At which
time, the LPNY's gubernatorial candidate must again have to receive over
50,000 votes for the LPNY to maintain the status.

Question: Had the CA LP not received "ballot-qualified status," does
this mean CA LP members must go through the rigmarole of ballot access
petitioning, as LPNY members must (now) do?

And what about the alternative method for the CA LP to receive such
status? That method is for the mere registration of 92,000 Libertarian
Party voters. Is there that many registered Libertarians in CA? If so,
that would be remarkable. I'm uncertain how many registered NY
Libertarians there are, but I doubt if it's anywhere near 92,000.

You said the "Top Two" primary law will change how the CA LP could get
the "ballot-qualified status." How will that be changed? But whichever,
it seems that this new law will put more screws into the CA LP and other
third parties, yes?

In any case, since it seems certain that Gary Johnson will appear on the
CA ballot, are you guys actively campaigning for him? Has GJ appeared in
any locally televised debates or news show interview? (Today, while I
canvassed for signatures, I came across a woman who was all for signing
my petition to put a third party candidate on the ballot. Unfortunately
it turned out she was registered to vote in California, so I couldn't
allow her to sign. When I told her GJ was the candidate, she didn't seem
to know he was on the CA ballot. But I did give her one of my "fortune
cookie format" strips of paper with GJ's website printed in 14 pt.
Arial. I told her to look up GJ and vote for him when she returns to
CA.)

Anyhow, thanks again for your reply. And let's see if Richard Winger
could provide more details of this arcane process for third parties to
get on the ballot, whether in NY or CA.

Talk to you.

Alton

Hi Alton,

Fortunately I believe it's just a formality at this point in

California, due to the LP having ballot-qualified status here, but now
that the "Top Two" primary law is in effect, that status, which has
depended on getting 2% of the vote in a statewide ballot race, could be
jeopardized, if we do not qualify by the other allowable means, which is
having a minimum number of voters in the state registered Libertarian
(something like 92,000 iirc).

Richard Winger may be able to give you a more specific/accurate

answer.

Love & Liberty,
                                 ((( starchild )))

> Hello all,
>
>
> As you know, Gary Johnson is the LP's nominee for POTUS. Before he

can appear on the New York State ballot, we at the LPNY must canvass
registered NYS voters, and only NYS registered voters, and ask them to
sign our petitions. (I've posted, in PDF format, a sample petition at
the "Files" folder, and you could see more details about this process
here: http://manhattanlp.org/election-2012/petitioning/)

>
> The signer must provide his/her signature, printed name, and

residence where they registered to vote. This "Ballot Access
Petitioning" requires us to submit 15,000 valid signatures to the Board
of Elections by August 21, though LPNY's controllers declared August 15
as the cutoff for petitioning so they could collate and prepare these
petitions and signatures.

>
> Mind you, 15,000 valid signatures is the technical requirement.

Should we submit only 15,000, Republican and Democratic challengers
could inspect the petitions, find one indecipherable name or one
unregistered voter, and tell a Board of Elections official. The official
will then declare GJ off the NYS ballot because of insufficient
ballots--only 14,999 valid signatures were submitted. So to stave off
any such challenge, we plan to submit at least 30,000 signatures.

>
> I don't know whether you folks in California have to through this

rigmarole, but petitioning is hard work. I should know because I'm
currently engaged in this "productive activity." While the importance of
petitioning should call for an "all hands on deck" commitment from every
LPNY member to procure valid signatures, unfortunately many choose to
sit it out. Thus, volunteers alone could not possibly procure the volume
required, so we must hire "professional petitioners." And they don't
come cheap as each signature they procure costs between $2.00 and $3.00.
(Anyone want to donate to our petition drive?)

>
> Anyhow, while I'm on track to procure over 500 signatures by August

15, I'm uncertain about our current progress as our controllers prefer
not to reveal our progress so to keep challengers in the dark, but I'm
confident that we will provide the magic 30,000 signatures. (When
citizens who sign ask me about the progress, I'd tell them we're more
than halfway and still need much work. I might even ask if they'd like
to volunteer; no takers yet.)

>
> So now that I've told you what we in the LPNY must go through to get

Gary Johnson on the NYS ballot, pray tell, how will you get GJ on the
California ballot?