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.

[Gideon7]

Candidates must agree in writing with their respective parties not to litigate intra-party disputes. This is SOP in any election. (You can never sue your own party.)

Candidates can only submit their dispute to arbitration before the party rules committee.

By state law the RPV has to turn their slate in to the State Board of Elections no later than 5pm tomorrow (12/27).

RPV Executive Director David Rexrode has already announced that even if Newt petitioned the VA GOP Rules Committee, said committee will not meet before tomorrow. So Newt has no recourse. The VA GOP will not be changing the slate.

I suspect the VA GOP won’t even turn in Newt or Perry’s petitions.

[hoosiermama]

this could very well be a case of political skullduggery/manipulation.

Ya Think! Surely the eastern GOP party lords aren't afraid of loosing their power to the "T" Party /sarc

[Gideon7]

Definitely no write-ins allowed.

There was a lot of argument about it last night at HA. Section 24-2.644 of the VA Code of Law (24.2-644) says that write-ins must be accepted (’shall be lawful’) but left an exception for primary elections. By my reading the law didn’t require them in a primary but didn’t explicitly prohibit them either. There seemed to be wiggle room to allow write-ins in a primary if the party wanted to accept them.

http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+24.2-644

Steve Eggleston found some other language at 24.2-529 that trumps 24.2-664. It unequivocally prohibits write-in votes in primaries: “No write-in shall be permitted on ballots in primary elections.”

http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+24.2-529

[hoosiermama]

Did you see this?

[Smokin' Joe]

We have been played again by the GOP AND the Obama machine.

Again.

THe fix has been in since the 'dogpile on the front-runner' meme started. Candidates have been gleefully eliminated as soon as they got double-digit polls, and Ron Paul has been a target of derision from the start, from all sides.

So excuse me while I am stuned (right, not stunned, but stuned) that the Mittster is the last Indian on the Island. Of course, the Obamites will take him down during the general.

Now, about the only thing Virginians can do if they cannot get their candidate of choice on the ballot is deny the delagates to Romney, no matter how distasteful they find the act of voting for Paul.

Otherwise, if they sit this one out, and if they cannot get the others on the ballot (or a write-in option), Romney will pick up the delegates.

[Future Useless Eater]

Virginia, YOU have just been SOOOOOO screwed

Virginia was in the Confederacy, and Robert E. Lee was from Virginia.

It is hard to believe that because of Dave Rexrode's trickery, Virginia is now about to give their WINNER TAKE ALL gop delegates, whether they like it or not, to the carpet-bagger abortionist, lying ObomneyCare gay-marriage activist, rich Mormon weasel from Massachusetts, who will say anything to get elected.

[hoosiermama]

It appears that the State of VA GOP big wheels will have their way.

Wonder how the national (or Romney’s camp) would react if they received some angry negative letters against their boy from registered voters in other states. It certainly doesn’t appear to be a level playing field and from talking to folks around here that seems to be one of the primary complaints against the establishment. They tilt the floor, and place a smaller hoop than regulation.

[rbmillerjr]

reference for critical post #22 above...

[rodguy911]

Here is the red state piece,quite unbelievable.
You have to scroll down to did the Va gop change....

http://www.redstate.com/moe_lane/2011/12/26/did-the-va-gop-change-the-rules-on-primary-ballot-access-in-november-2011/

[rodguy911]

Thanks so much for the ping LucyT—what a story!

[TigersEye]

That sure sounds like a conspiracy with criminal intent there.

[little jeremiah]

They’re trying to make it so we are forced to look beyond the ballot box. Sickening.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

Primary-gate.

[central_va]

No mistake about it. The Establishment GOP™ is really scared and is pulling all the stops for Mitt Rino. Its like the battle of the bulge during WWII. It looked like a catastrophe for us but actually it was desperation move on the part of the wehrmacht

[TigersEye]

We will all be sorry if it’s forced that far but they will be the sorriest. I don’t think they see it they just think they can get away with it.

[writer33]

How much cash do you get to post for Paul?

He gets: Four hundred dollars, three french hens, two turle doves and Ron Paul as Commander-in-Chief. :-)

[netmilsmom]

LOL!!!

[little jeremiah]

The fact that so many in the US are armed, and have the internet to find actual news on, are the two main reasons we don’t have a real revolution on our hands (yet). By “real” I mean like Cuba’s, or what ushered in the USSR. But that’s what they want. They’ll get something else though. But my tagline says what I think. I wish I didn’t.

[PalinPlease]

Saved!

Now I’ve got to read this and catch up on everything that come up over the holiday weekend.

Thanks Eater.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Fix is in for Romney RINO.

Yep, VA Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling heads up the Romney campaign in Virginia.