Posted on 12/27/2011 3:48:28 PM PST by TBBT
Texas Gov. Rick Perry has filed suit in federal court against the Virginia Republican Party and the Virginia Board of Elections in order to gain a spot on the Commonwealth's primary ballot. Perry was excluded after the party found he had not submitted enough valid signatures by the deadline last Thursday. His campaign submitted 6,000 of the required 10,000, according to the suit. The lawsuit alleges that Perry's 1st and 14th Amendment rights were violated by the requirement that those circulating the petitions also be eligible or registered voters of Virginia. Failure to get on the ballot is a major embarrassment for the struggling Perry campaign — but he is not alone. Another one-time GOP frontrunner, Newt Gingrich, also failed to qualify. "Gov. Perry greatly respects the citizens and history of the Commonwealth of Virginia and believes Virginia Republicans should have greater access to vote for one of the several candidates for President of the United States," Perry communications director Ray Sullivan said in a statement. "Virginia ballot access rules are among the most onerous and are particularly problematic in a multi-candidate election. We believe that the Virginia provisions unconstitutionally restrict the rights of candidates and voters by severely restricting access to the ballot, and we hope to have those provisions overturned or modified to provide greater ballot access to Virginia voters and the candidates seeking to earn their support."
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
The Code of Virginia establishes the rules by which party candidates can get on the ballot. Why is that surprising to you?
The primaries are implemented by the state, and the state has a law with rules that must be followed.
Back in may, the Virginia Board of Elections sent out a 4-page memo explaining the rules to all the candidates. That memo is published on their web site (I had a link this morning, and lost it).
The RPV is involved only in that the RPV is tasked under the law with verifying the signatures. Some have suggested that the RPV used to be lax in verification, and then there was a lawsuit, and now they were being more serious.
But the 10,000 signature requirement is in the law, it’s not something the RPV made up.
At least he was able to submit signatures, which you’d think any serious candidate could do. Of course, Michelle Bachmann didn’t even bother.
Bill Bolling had nothing to do with the volunteers checking signatures, or the RPV process for validating signatures.
I know you support Ken for governor, but he doesn't need help like this. He's a much more honorable man than you appear to be with your wild, unsupported accusations and personal attacks.
On the other hand, the evidence here is that you are making stuff up.
Yes, some have suggested that, because some are idiots.
Well, that’s because only the serious candidates bothered.
On the other hand, somone claimed that Santorum was trying to collect signatures but came up short, which would suggest he had done the other filings necessary, but I have no evidence for that so it’s speculation.
And as far as I can tell, Michelle didn’t even declare herself a candidate here, or submit the required filings to be a candidate.
Not lightly, just ignorantly.
Charles, the original article I read (and I admit I have not researched this at all) quoted the Virginia Code which referenced specifically the Republican Party.
The implication was that there are different rules for each of the parties, and that was what I objected to. If that is not the case, I have no issue.
From further posts, it appears that some elements of the Republican procedure are NOT mandated by the sections of the Virginia Code governing Presidential elections. It appears that this is a mess, and perhaps does offer the possibility of injunctive relief.
EDINVA, is the proviso that Ron Paul and Mitt Romney are exempted from verification because they each presented more than 15,000 raw signatures part of the Virginia Code as well?
In a closed primary state, not many are going to go through the time & trouble of registering back and forth between primaries and general elections (and it wouldn't be hard to prohibit such behavior if it became a problem). I moved to VA from CA where, thankfully, an open primary concept was rejected by the voters - one thing CA does right.
Here in VA, an open primary greases the skids for nominating someone the majority of Republicans don't want. This to me is just as big an issue and problem and this signature fiasco.
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I also called FOX for what it is worth. Let them know it is disturbing that they continue to leave out facts in their reporting about the VA ballot access problem for Newt and Perry. Perhaps after they do get ballot access the truth will come out. I left my message including the following facts.
1. The VA ballot access rules were changed to require that the persons collecting the petitions must be VA residents/voters, which means Newt and Perry could not have volunteers from outside VA help collect petitions.
2. The VA ballot access rules were changed to require that 400 petitions had to be collected from EACH of the 11 VA districts.
3. The VA ballot access rules were changed to require that the petitions must be signed by REGISTERED VA voters, NOT just RESIDENTS of VA.
4. There has been little mention of the number of petitions Newt's campaign has turned in, but Rick Perry's campaign turned in about 11,900 petitions NOT 6,000 as has been reported in order to say his campaign was “NOT ORGANIZED like Ron Paul and Mitt Romney”.
5. The reason Ron Paul and Mitt Romney are already on the VA ballot is because they ran in the 2008 election NOT because they were “MORE ORGANIZED” than Newt or Perry.
I am pleased that Perry and Newt will challenge the VA changes in their ballot access rules. Newt and Perry should be allowed on the VA ballot if they have turned in the 10,000 required petitions signed by VA residents.
It's all very simple.
They got WIPED OFF THE LIST.
I prefer ELECTIONS to SELECTIONS by greasy palmed in smoke filled rooms.
They got WIPED OFF THE LIST.
I prefer ELECTIONS to SELECTIONS by greasy palmed politicians meeting secretly in smoke filled rooms.
He's also the Lt. Governor.
He knew!
Our top leadership in the Commonwealth of Virginia declared war on Republican Voters!
What do you expect?
It is time to retake Richmond ~ and just like Lincoln we know what to do.
So, now, "The Cooch" will need to respond to that on behalf of the Commonwealth ...... and he literally has it in his power to RUIN Romney.
My take is the opposite. This is showing up the establishment, they are really having a hard time shoving their "it's his turn" candidate down our throats. It is a hopeful sigh of a complete RINO die-out.
Some people think you're an idiot...keep posting and you'll remove all doubt.
LOL! That's the line of the day!
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