Under VA law there are two tracks to get on the ballot.
The first track is party choice. The party can use whatever arbitrary rules they want. For example, the party could say anyone who got 25% or more on the last ballot is automatically on the next ballot (grandfathered in).
The second track is to submit 10,000/400 verified signatures that jump all the hoops required by the state. The second track has been in place since 1999.
If you can pass either track #1 or track #2 you are on the ballot.
Under the track #1 the VA GOP decided that anybody who submits 10000/400 sigs is in, with no checking of the sigs. This was the VA GOP rule in 2008. Since all the 2008 candidates submitted 10000/400 sigs nobody was checked. (The Dems have a similar no-check rule AFAIK.)
Because of the Osborse lawsuit in October, the VA GOP decided to change their track #1 rule, raising it to 15000/600.
Newt submitted only 11,000 and thus fell out of track #1. Newt was bounced because he also didn’t pass track #2.
The point is until now *nobody* has ever required to pass the much more stringient track #2 method and jump all the hoops. Yes it has been in the VA lawbooks since 1999 but it has never been enforced until now for either party (AFAIK).
If the letter shown above wasn’t published at the last minute, Newt and Perry would be on the ballot right now.
What's the point of having rules if they aren't followed? That's why we have the Kenyan squatting in the white hut.
You’re wrong. They may have collected/faked 16,000 sigs for Romney...after the deadline... wrote the letter...after the deadline... that does it. I’m campaigning for Cuccinelli against Bolling if I have to work 24/7.
You’re wrong. They may have collected/faked 16,000 sigs for Romney...after the deadline... wrote the letter...after the deadline... that does it. I’m campaigning for Cuccinelli against Bolling if I have to work 24/7.