Bill Being Proposed For Upcoming Session Makes Way For Third Party Candidates In Tennessee
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The Tennessee Conservative [By Kelly M. Jackson] –
Recently, a lawsuit was filed in the state of Tennessee, that claimed that third parties such as the Green or Libertarian parties are saddled with requirements that under the law should be considered “unduly burdensome” and seek a remedy leveling the playing field for those candidates who do not align with the 2 prominent parties in the state.
Libertarian Party leaders claim that the laws in Tennessee make it virtually impossible to effectively run as a third-party candidate. The lawsuit is filed against Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett and Tennessee Elections Coordinator Mark Goins.
A new bill filed recently for the upcoming session sponsored by Representative Bryan Richey (R-D20-Maryville) proposes a reduction in the number of signatures required in order to qualify for inclusion on the ballot.
House Bill 1619 (HB1619) states, “Election Laws – As introduced, revises the petition signature thresholds for qualifying as a recognized minor party for a statewide election, an election for a seat in either house of the general assembly, and for any other public office. – Amends TCA Title 2.”
Current law in Tennessee says that any candidate running for statewide election under one of the three main party affiliations is required to present 25 registered voter signatures 90 days before the election in order to appear on the ballot.
Compare that to any candidate wishing to run under a minor party affiliation. Those candidates are required to obtain registered voter signatures in an amount equal to 2.5% of votes cast in the previous gubernatorial election.
For context, over 1.76 million people cast their votes in 2022, securing an overwhelming victory for Governor Lee. Mathematically, this would mean any person who wanted to pursue a candidacy under a minor party, would be required to collect a minimum of 44,000 signatures 90 days before the election, just to be included on the ballot.
This new bill, according to its sponsor, would aim to reduce that requirement to just 500 signatures for those minor parties to meet the threshold for inclusion on a ballot that include elections for Governor and US Senate/Congress. For the state house, either chamber, the threshold would be 250 signatures.
And for all other elections the requirement for inclusion on the ballot would be 125 signatures.
Richey agreed that the standard expectations in the current law make it almost impossible for anyone wanting to run representing a minor party and have the ability to get on the ballot.
If this bill gets through the entire legislative process, makes it to the Governor’s desk, and is signed into law, it will create a new opportunity for those who wish to step up and lead by running for public office, to actually present themselves as an option to voters.
The new session begins in January and runs through early spring. We will follow the progress of this and all bills that are of interest to our readers and provide updates as they become available.
About the Author: Kelly Jackson is a recent escapee from corporate America, and a California refugee to Tennessee. Christ follower, Wife and Mom of three amazing teenagers. She has a BA in Comm from Point Loma Nazarene University, and has a background in law enforcement and human resources. Since the summer of 2020, she has spent any and all free time in the trenches with local grassroots orgs, including Mom’s for Liberty Williamson County and Tennessee Stands as a core member. Outspoken advocate for parents rights, medical freedom, and individual liberty. Kelly can be reached at kelly@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
I am convinced that a thrid party or even independant candidate could make it by carefully saying what everyone knows but none will say in such a way as to be defensible, and then just let them come.
You’d get plenty of free publicity if not riots in your honor, burned in effigy every weekend to light your way.
The campaign would be a bunch of ambushes, a provacative statement with ripostes already worked out to make the point i.e. not the explaining and cowaring Republicans always do but throw the criticsm back as another provocation : keep it goiong the entire campaign.
It’d be tough and reqire some witty people but ridiculing both establishment parties could win all by itself.
Hope they prevail. The 2(uni) party deal is failing us miserably and they’ve made it near impossible for 3rd parties to field candidates.
Let anyone who wants to run, put their names on the paper ballot with carbon paper in between. If there’s any question of illegal votes, I have my copy and voter registration.