VA GOP Changed Ballot Access Rules Last Month

Big Government ^ | 12/26/11 | Publius

[Nachum]

There are currently many news stories and blog discussions about the Virginia presidential primary ballot access law. Some large blogs, such as Red State, have over 300 comments about the story. Some defend the current Virginia ballot access laws on the grounds that in past presidential elections, a fairly large number of Republican presidential primary candidates managed to qualify.

But what has not been reported is that in the only other presidential primaries in which Virginia required 10,000 signatures (2000, 2004, and 2008) the signatures were not checked. Any candidate who submitted at least 10,000 raw signatures was put on the ballot. In 2000, five Republicans qualified: George Bush, John McCain, Alan Keyes, Gary Bauer, and Steve Forbes. In 2004 there was no Republican primary in Virginia. In 2008, seven Republicans qualified: John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, and Alan Keyes.

[Conservative Vermont Vet]

Gee, I imagine we can expect ALL of the Hypocritical "NEWT-HATERS," Romney-Bots, Paul-inistas and sundry other Leftist Trolls, who could not wait to castigate Newt for his "Incompetence" in not being able to even "Manage" his campaign ("How can we expect him to be able to manage the Presidency?" was one meme) to show up any minute now and apologize???

Cue the recording of Crickets Chirping!!!

[Future Useless Eater]

FReepers should SAVE a copy of this PDF file asap, before it is changed!
http://www.rpv.org/sites/default/files/2012%20Petition%20Certification%20Process_1.pdf

This un-dated "Safe Harbor" letter is the smoking gun that could sink Romney-conspirators in the Virginia R.P. office, including Executive director: David Rexrode,


Chairman: Pat Mullins,


and maybe even Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling

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Gideon7 correctly pointed out that the letter was CREATED in WORD on 12/21/2011.
Some freepers have suggested maybe that's just the date the letter was scanned, but no way... You can tell by zooming in close with a PDF editor that the characters and images are all perfect. This was not a scanned document.

It was, as the document indicates internally, CREATED on 12/21/2011 using Microsoft WORD.

Furthermore, the file also indicates the Author. Just open up this file with WordPad, and search for "2011", and on that line you will find the author...

<</Author(Dave Rexrode) ...... /CreationDate(D:20111221100053-05'00') /ModDate(D:20111221100053-05'00')

Why this is important is that ONE DAY EARLIER, Tuesday 12/20, Lt. Gov. Bolling had personally delivered 16,026 petitions for Romney. This letter guarantees that Romney's petitions would NOT be examined. They could NOT be challenged even if 90% said "Mickey Mouse" and showed no addresses. Meanwhile nearly every other candidate will fail the newly planned microscopic-signature checking [even though state law for Presidential Primaries § 24.2-545 does not require street addresses]

Mister Rexrode has even been so brash as to quote to the NY Times and others that Gingrich can do nothing about this... "Gingrich may appeal the party's decision to its State Central Committee, but Dave Rexrode, executive director of the Republican Party of Virginia, said there is not enough time to hold a meeting before the State Board of Elections meets Wednesday."

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This is the undated letter.

The PDF file contains a hidden Microsoft Word creation date of 12/21/2011.

5 posted on Monday, December 26, 2011 12:39:11 PM by Gideon7

[katiedidit1]

Saved it. Can you send this to Rush Limbaugh? and Fox News? although, I don’t trust Fox but this needs to get out NOW.

[hoosiermama]

Thanks for the information FUE

FYI for everyone else.

[hoosiermama]

Agree with getting the word out. Drudge has a tip line on their front page. Pinged a few people who might help.

[bgill]

I don’t have a problem with them checking signatures because that’s exactly what they should have been doing each and every time. I also don’t have a problem with making the candidates follow each and every rule and that the candidates should never assume that the rules were the same as last time. However, I do have a problem with undated letters and changing the rules in the middle of the game. Rule changes should be at least 6 months out and publicized so there is no question they have been changed. Any and all letters must legally be signed and dated and filed within the jurisdiction. All such letters should also be certified mailed to each candidate.

I’m wondering if they can change the rules. Does VA have some sort of intent form to be placed on the ballot? One would think it did since the candidates must have Form XYZ or whatever numbered form to have the signatures on. Form XYZ should have official instructions attached. Those original official instructions should remain in effect.

“Someone” knocked out Cain because he was in the top tier. Now “someone” is going after Newt. That “someone” is the GOP. Yeah, the Mittens fix is in. With VA’s no write in for their primaries, the only solution is to throw the vote to Paul. Sure, he batty but that would scare the GOP and they need scaring.

[katiedidit1]

EXCELLENT hoosiermama:)) we have to blog and fight hard. I am ready to search some Virginia forums and see if I can get this posted. YOU deserve a big applause for contacting Drudge.

[Gideon7]

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.

[bgill]

Yes it has been in the VA lawbooks since 1999 but it has never been enforced until now for either party

What's the point of having rules if they aren't followed? That's why we have the Kenyan squatting in the white hut.

[hoosiermama]

Selective Rules....Rules that only apply to those you select to apply them to.

Rules developed and applied by those in power to keep that power. AKA Tough-schidt-rules

[Lancey Howard]

I will never cast a vote for that slimy scumbag Romney.
As far as the GOP establishment is concerned, my checkbook remains slammed shut. Screw those filthy bastids.

[DarthVader]

Virginia conservative Republicans should do the following:

1) After the holidays get on the phone and raise royal hell with the RPV. If you have made pledges for donations, threaten to withdraw them and that you will not donate anymore.
2) If this situation is not resolved and we are forced to vote for these two utter nitwits I say hold your nose and vote for Roach Paul who I think is a complete loon. But if he wins it will utterly humiliate the RINOs in the RPV.
3) If you are not active get active in your local party organization and clean out the RINOs at the leadership level.

[AmericanInTokyo]

And any Conservative who continues to listen to people like LAURA INGRAHAM and her ilk, or SEAN HANNITY who patronizes KARL ROVE, has had a peripheral part in this outrageousness--well, forget about it.

These RINO Establishment types who come off as Conservatives want Romney because they do not want Obama to lose. In their heart of hearts, they keep their national audiences for at least another four years, if they have Obama to rail against daily. It is sheer, simple economics and has nothing to do with patriotism for these folks.

THERE. I SAID IT.

And particularly Laura Ingraham who was on "Team B" in the early-on character assassination of Herman Cain to knock him out as he was a major threat to both the Liberal Democratic and RINO powers that be, the same side of the Establishment.

We would be fools to follow any of these so called "talk show hosts" over a cliff.

There needs to be a GENERAL NATIONAL TEA PARTY REVITALIZATION AND REBELLION from the grassroots assailing both the eventual nominees of the Republicrat Party, and we have a good year to get it into place, ballot position, fundraise and realign the American Political System. That is seriously what I am thinking is necessary to save the Republic. Will not compromise my principles and vote for a RINO just because of the boogeyman Obama, because his nomination will have all been based on the usual GOP Establishment tomfoolery to fool, trick and screw us guys in flyover country, once again. The did it in 2008 and it was South Carolina. They did it in 2012 and it was Virginia. Not going to countenance it. No way. Not again. Not one BIT. That dog don't hunt.

[Future Useless Eater]

From GOP Chairman’s (Dave Rexrode's 12/21) letter:

“If any candidate submits fewer than 15,000 signatures of registered voters on valid petitions statewide or fewer than 600 signatures of registered voters on valid petitions in one or more of the 11 Congressional Districts, the Republican Party of Virginia will individually verify signatures until the 10,000 signature statewide threshold and/or 400 per Congressional district is met.”

Seems like a legal promise that the verification process is ongoing-— no deadline. The omitted candidates should be allowed to amend their petitions to meet the threshold— so long as they can amass the requisite support.

Wow! Good point. That bogus letter DOES suggest that there is NO DEADLINE. The RPV WILL VERIFY signatures UNTIL the 10,000 threshold ...

Newt should do like the movie "Mr. Smith goes to Washington" and deliver thousands more petitions later this week. ... OR call and ask the 2000 signers with no address to amend their petitions.

And why give Romney a pass at all? Why wouldn't the RPV verify Romney's UNTIL they reached 10,000 valid? It has to be they were worried the exhaustive extra scrutiny could have knocked out Romney too.

[katiedidit1]

Too bad Free Republic couldn’t start a television or radio talk show. One way to get the word out big time. There was a time I enjoyed Fox news but that has come to a rather abrupt end. I am ready for the revolution...sick of being dictated to by the gop establishment. Bush 41 and 43 were too moderate for me and Romney is Obama lite.
Toss in Anne Coulter, Imus, O’Reilly and Larry Sabato into the mix with Ingraham.

[Future Useless Eater]

This corruption in the RPV is terrible for yet another reason...


The Virgina rules are that if any one candidate gets over 50% of the votes, it is WINNER TAKE ALL.

With ALL FOUR candidates that turned in >> 10,000 signatures (Gingrich, Perry, Paul, Romney), by 2008 rules, it most likely would have been a shared delegate count matching Virginia's preferences, OR maybe a small chance Gingrich might have won the WTA.

But with only TWO candidates, it is almost guaranteed that Romney will get the WINNER TAKE ALL for Virginia!@#$%%*


Virginia, YOU have just been SOOOOOO screwed

[butterdezillion]

Does VA allow write-ins on the primary ballot?

[noinfringers2]

After reading Section 24.2-545 again I am struck by the fact Section 24.2-545 for the Presidential Primary and Section 24.2-506 for State Office are not joined by any cross reference. From my experience each is therefore independent of the other no matter that each can/does use identical words. For example,”form prescribed by the State Board” does not demand that information on forms must be the same as illustrated by actual difference in information requirements and references to delegates to the national convention only on 24.2-545. It seems to me that this could very well be a case of political skullduggery/manipulation.

[LucyT]

FReepers should SAVE a copy of this PDF file asap, before it is changed!

This un-dated "Safe Harbor" letter is the smoking gun that could sink Romney-conspirators in the Virginia R.P. office, including Executive director: David Rexrode,

The PDF file contains a hidden Microsoft Word creation date of 12/21/2011.

. . . . See # 22, and Article.

Thanks Future.

[hoosiermama]

From What I’ve read on FR. They do not allow write ins