URGENT ACTION REQUEST
Dear LPVA members and friends:
Two bills have been introduced in the Virginia General Assembly, both of which would make it easier for Libertarian Party of Virginia candidates to get on the ballot in Virginia!
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SB-766 - http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?151+sum+SB766
Introduced by State Senator John S. Edwards, SB-766 would lower the number of signatures for statewide candidates (whether in a primary or in a general election) from 10,000 to 5,000, and would reduce the minimum number of signatures in each Congressional District from 400 to 200. The bill is similar to legislation that passed in 2013 that lowers the number of signatures for all presidential candidates from 10,000 to 5,000.
Between 1894 and 1935, independent candidates and the nominees of unqualified parties, for office other than President, didn’t need any signatures whatsoever to get on the November ballot. Between 1936 and 1970 they needed 250 signatures. Virginia did not suffer from an overcrowded ballot during those years.
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HB-1463 - http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?151+sum+HB1463
Introduced by Delegate Sam Rasoul, HB-1463 would ease the vote test for a group to obtain and retain political party status. The bill lowers the vote test from 10% to 4% in either of the last two statewide elections.
Under current law, the Commonwealth of Virginia makes it more difficult than almost all other states for a political party to remain on the ballot and be able to place its candidates on the ballot without petitioning.
It takes 10% of the vote for a statewide office (and, there are only five of them: President, US Senate, Governor, Lt. Governor & Attorney General) in either of the last two statewide elections. Only one state, Alabama, has a higher vote percentage retention requirement, at 20%.
A few years ago, North Carolina reduced its vote percentage retention requirement from 10% for President or Governor to 2%. Maryland went from 10% to 1% in 1998. In West Virginia, it has always been 1%, and Kentucky has always been 2%.
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We need to find members of the Virginia House of Delegates and Virginia Senate who will support and vote for these important bills.
Please email or call both your Delegate and State Senator and ask if they will support these bills. Don't know who your Delegate and State Senator are?
Go to: http://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/
... and type in your home address (no PO boxes!) to see who your Delegate and State Senator are.
The most important Delegates and State Senators are those who are on the House and Senate Privileges & Elections Committees. Those members can be seen here:
http://hodcap.state.va.us/publications/housecommitteechart2014-5.pdf
and here:
http://sov.state.va.us/SOV%20Portal/Forms/Comcal.2014.pdf
Time is of the essence! Please contact your Delegate and State Senator today! Things are going to move fast, particularly given that this is going to be a "short" session in 2015.
If your Delegate or State Senator agrees to support such legislation, please inform me at Chair@LPVA.com or by calling me at 703-864-2132.
Also, the Libertarian Party of Virginia will have a presence on Lobby Day at the General Assembly on Monday, January 19, to lobby for these and other bills. Please come to Richmond and help us lobby that day! More details will be forthcoming shortly.
Thanks very much,
Bill Redpath
LPVA Chairman
P.S. This message is also posted on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LPVirginia/posts/992090547485712
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