Libertarian Party petitions Ron Paul:

[Matt Collins]

I just got a letter from the Libertarian Party in my mailbox today with a petition for Ron Paul supporting HR 3600 "The Voter Freedom Act of 2007" which according to the petition "sets a reasonable national standards for Congressional candidates to be on ballots in all 50 states".


Did anyone else see this?

[Richandler]

We need to take up some initiative in handwriting letters to our Senators and House Members asking that they please support the bills Ron creates. Massive scale size like the Iowa residents letters.

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IF PAUL DOESN'T WIN, THIS ACT CAN HELP A THIRD PARTY CANDIDACY

[torchbearer]

I wouldn't even think they'd need to ask him on that one.

[kotetu]

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-3600


Sponsor:
Rep. Ronald Paul [R-TX](no cosponsors)

A BILL

To enforce the guarantees of the first, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendments to the Constitution of the United States by prohibiting certain devices used to deny the right to participate in certain elections.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Voter Freedom Act of 2007'.

SEC. 2. BALLOT ACCESS RIGHTS.

(a) In General- An individual shall have the right to be placed as a candidate on, and to have such individual's political party, body, or group affiliation in connection with such candidacy placed on, a ballot or similar voting materials to be used in a Congressional election, if--

(1) such individual presents a petition stating in substance that its signers desire such individual's name and political party, body or group affiliation, if any, to be placed on the ballot or other similar voting materials to be used in the election with respect to which such rights are to be exercised;

(2) such petition has at least 1,000 signatures of persons who are registered to vote in the district, or, if the State in which the district is located does not provide for voter registration, such petition must bear the signatures of at least 1,000 persons who are eligible to vote in that State and that district;

(3) with respect to an election the date of which was fixed 345 or more days in advance, such petition was circulated during a period beginning on the 345th day and ending on the 75th day before the date of the election; and

(4) with respect to an election the date of which was fixed less than 345 days in advance, such petition was circulated during a period established by the State holding the election, or, if no such period was established, during a period beginning on the day after the date the election was scheduled and ending on the thirtieth day before the date of the election.

(b) Savings Provision- Subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to any State that provides by law for greater ballot access rights than the ballot access rights provided for under such subsection.

SEC. 3. RULEMAKING.

The Attorney General shall make rules to carry out this Act.

SEC. 4. GENERAL DEFINITIONS.

As used in this Act--

(1) the term `Congressional election' means a general or special election for the office of Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress;

(2) the term `State' means a State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any other territory or possession of the United States;

(3) the term `individual' means an individual who has the qualifications required by law of a person who holds the office for which such individual seeks to be a candidate;

(4) the term `petition' includes a petition which conforms to section 2(a)(1) and upon which signers' addresses and/or printed names are required to be placed;

(5) the term `signer' means a person whose signature appears on a petition and who can be identified as a person qualified to vote for an individual for whom the petition is circulated, and includes a person who requests another to sign a petition on his or her behalf at the time when, and at the place where, the request is made;

(6) the term `signature' includes the incomplete name of a signer, the name of a signer containing abbreviations such as first or middle initial, and the name of a signer preceded or followed by titles such as `Mr.', `Ms.', `Dr.', `Jr.', or `III'; and

(7) the term `address' means the address which a signer uses for purposes of registration and voting.



The list below shows legislation in this and previous sessions of Congress that had the same title as this bill. Note that bills may have multiple titles. Often bills are incorporated into other omnibus bills, and you may be able to track the status of provisions of this bill by looking for an omnibus bill below.
103rd Congress: H.R. 1755: Fair Elections Act (Status: Dead)
105th Congress: H.R. 2477 (Status: Dead)
106th Congress: H.R. 2026 (Status: Dead)
107th Congress: H.R. 2268 (Status: Dead)
108th Congress: H.R. 1941 (Status: Dead)

[kotetu]

I think this one basically is to get 3rd parties listed as something other than "3rd party candidates"

So the ballot would be

Republican Democrat Libertarian Independent
Paul Obama etc etc

[Johncjackson]

I think it's more about setting reasonable standards for being on the ballot at all. May states have petitioning standards so high, almost no one can even get on the ballot. Not to mention the harassment and arrest of petitioners and other BS.

[torchbearer]

Only problem is... you'd have to amend the consitution... the fed doesn't have the right to govern the states electoral college elections and congressional elections. Just that they are free and republic.

[Paul4Prez]

Only problem is... you'd have to amend the consitution... the fed doesn't have the right to govern the states electoral college elections and congressional elections. Just that they are free and republic.

Article 1, Section 4:

The times, places and manner of holding elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each state by the legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by law make or alter such regulations, except as to the places of choosing Senators.

[runderwo]

If you add yourself to the DownsizeDC.org email list then they will send out a reminder every time it's time to take action on a bill like this.

[Matt Collins]

Did anyone else get one of these in the mail?