There's been a lot of memes going around, but I genuinely have a question. If PSL were on the ballot, I would obviously vote for them. However, they're write-in only in my state. Would writing in PSL have the same effect, or could the vote more easily be invalid or ignored.
In other words, is it better to vote for Greens if PSL is write-in only?
EDIT: THANKS FOR INPUT! I've decided to write in Hilary Clinton, have a wonderful day!
But really probably writing in PSL. Elections don't matter too much though, so I'm ever in an area where PSL is active, I'll make sure to join (which has been the plan for a while). Thanks again!
where can I read more about this? is this partisan ballots or something?
List of 150 greens in Office
Yeah like local offices. The Green Party is very adamant about not recieving corporate money. They believe in people powered elections and representstion. The presidential election helps establish certain thresholds for public funding and ballot access instead of having to "start over" in signature drives just to be on the ballot in local and state elections. Public funding is funded by people who check on their tax returns the $3 to public election funding.
You'll hear this 5% threshold mentioned often and this is the reason why.
Receiving a public funding grant for the general election - FEC.GOV
....
Minor party candidates: A minor party candidate is the nominee of a party whose candidate received between 5 and 25 percent of the total popular vote in the preceding presidential election. The amount of public funding to which a minor party candidate is entitled is based on the ratio of the party's popular vote in the preceding presidential election to the average popular vote of the two major party candidates in that election.
Since the Greens have never breached 5% (highest 2.7% for Nader), would that mean they have never received FEC funding for their presidential campaigns?
I know that Greens are in local offices obviously, that work is good, but I don't understand how specifically running Stein is required for "down ticket greens to be eligible to be on the ballot" as Infamousbit said. Seems to me that she's running for the same reason PSL is.
It depends on the state as each state has different ballot access requirements for down ballot candidates. Say you want to run as a Green or PSL candiate for state office. Does the state recognize the party and thus put your name on the ballot without having to resort to costly signature drives for both party recognition and putting yourself in as a write-in?
Many of them have requirements of X% of the vote of Y office for their major candidate in the last election. Major candidate being the Presidential candidate. You'll have the whole state vote for president rather than a single local district office. Much easier to get say 20k votes from the whole state rather than one district.
I.E. Michigan
Maintaining party status
So for example, if you want future Green party down ballot candidates to be able to have an easier time getting on the ballot, Jill Stein (Presidential Candidate) needed to 16,083 votes for the Green Party to keep their status in Michigan ballot elections. Otherwise they would be subject to grueling and expensive (which are getting worse as 3rd parties become more of a real threat) signature drives to regain their status with the state.
Yes there are advocacy for issues, and promoting the party that comes along with it.
The after effects of Nader yielded a few states getting over 5% percentage for the Greens as Governor candidates.
Thanks. This is the most thorough treatment I've seen of higher races leading to lower ballot access.
I don't know for sure. Google I guess? I just heard her in an interview on Democracy Now and that's what she was saying. I don't think she'd have much reason to lie about it in that space