How can we get more votes for Gary Johnson in 2016?
Hello all,
In their 190-page document, FEDERAL ELECTIONS 2012: Election Results for the U.S. President, the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, our "good friends" at the Federal Election Commission compiled all the votes each candidate for federal office received in 2012 and named the winners and losers. When you see the colorful maps and charts, and reams of numbers, you will certainly be impressed by their thoroughness. (See: http://www.fec.gov/pubrec/fe2012/federalelections2012.pdf
Anyhow, on Page 42, it's reported that in 2012 Gary Johnson, the LBT Candidate for President, received 47,256 votes out of the 7,051,159 total votes cast by New York State voters. This meant GJ received 67 thousandths of the votes, or 0.67%. This seems kind of paltry, but at least it's more than the 0.2% interest my bank pays me. (In comparison, on Page 34, GJ is reported to have received 143,221 votes out of the 13,038,547 total votes cast in California, or 1.10%.)
Still, however paltry this number may seem, it's within the range of the total votes he received in each state. This ranged from a low of 0.52% in Mississippi to a high of 3.55% he received in his home state of New Mexico. (Indiana and Wisconsin voters also gave GJ 0.67% of the total votes. In Michigan, he received 7,774 votes out of 4,730,961 total votes cast for an "anomalous" 0.16% of the votes. But he received those votes as a write-in candidate, which I think is exemplary.)
An obvious question to ask is how can we NY (and CA) Libertarians get Gary Johnson more than the 47,256 votes he received in 2012? Indeed, how can we do better for GJ in 2016? For that matter, how can every LP or non-LP activist in every state get more votes for GJ in 2016?
In their October 2016 LP News article, "Impact of 2016 presidential vote on Libertarian Party ballot access" (Page 13, https://lpaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/2016-4_LP_News.pdf, Bob Johnston and Carla Howell told us with urgency:
The votes that Libertarians Gary Johnson and William Weld receive for president and vice president in the November election will have a significant impact on the party’s ballot access in the future. In most states, gaining full-ballot access allows the LP to run candidates up and down the ticket and significantly reduces requirements for petitioning and/or filing. Arizona, New York, and Massachusetts are notable exceptions.
The following table shows the impact that various Libertarian presidential vote results will have on particular states. States not listed are not affected by the presidential vote. •
Richard Winger of Ballot Access News contributed to this article.
According to their table, these States and DC can have ballot access (no more or reduced petitioning needed) should GJ get the following percentage of the total votes in 2016 (comments are from the table):
AR 3% in the presidential race gets full-ballot access for two years. Would be the first time the party has ever retained ballot access. Removes need to petition to get on the ballot.
CT 1% in the presidential race allows the state party to avoid having to collect 7,500 signatures to get the 2020 presidential candidate on the ballot.
DC Candidate for president, city council, or delegate to U.S. House must get 7,500 votes. Would be the second time party has achieved ballot access (last time in 2012). Signature requirements to get candidates on the ballot would be significantly less in 2018.
IL 5% in race for president, U.S. Senate, or comptroller gets ballot access in 2018 for statewide candidates. Statewide candidates would still need to petition, but much less (5,000 signatures instead of 25,000). Signatures needed for state Senate and House candidates would be cut in half (to 1,000 and 500 signatures, respectively).
IA 2% in the presidential race gets ballot access for two years. Would be the first time ever in the state. Signature requirement would be significantly less.
KY 2% in the presidential race gets ballot access for four years. It would be the first time ever in the state. Would not have to collect 5,000 signatures for 2020 presidential nominee or other statewide candidates.
MN 5% in the presidential race gets ballot access for four years. Would remove the need to petition.
OK 2.5% in the race for president retains ballot access for two years. Would be the first time in history for any party other than Democrats and Republicans. If LP gets 2.5% for governor in 2018, presidential candidate gets on the 2020 ballot without petitioning.
WA 5% in the presidential race allows the state party to get the 2020 presidential candidate on the ballot without petitioning.
While Connecticut (CT), will only receive partial ballot access should GJ get a mere 1% of the total votes, at least CT LP members won't have to collect 7,500 signatures for their 2020 Presidential candidate. On Page 11 of the FEC document, it's reported that GJ received in 2012 a total of 1,275,971 votes or 0.99%. As the cliche goes, "close, but no cigars."
Folks, 2016 was the "miracle year" for the Chicago Cubs. Do you think that 2016 might be the "miracle year" for Gary Johnson and the LP? While it's improbable that he will win the Presidency, I think many, if not all of you, want to see him get at least ten percent of the total votes. And ten percent will not only get those States and DC ballot access, it will show the polity that the LP is a party to reckon with!
If that includes you, how can you make it happen, even at this very late stage of the election cycle? And every vote you help procure at this late stage or "extra inning" counts!
Thanks for reading.
Alton Yee
Chair
The Brooklyn Libertarian Party
Libertarian Party of Brooklyn http://www.BrooklynLP.org/
Libertarian Party of Brooklyn http://www.BrooklynLP.org/ This is the website of the Libertarian Party of Brooklyn
View on www.BrooklynLP.org http://www.BrooklynLP.org/
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