A Prediction for the November Election

The article is tiny, but the significance great of this Tribune article announcing that Green Party candidate LeAlan Jones will be on the special ballot for U.S. Senate in November.

With the rules for November’s special U.S. Senate election now laid down by Federal Judge John Grady, it is clear that Green candidate LeAlan Jones is going to be the big winner.

It’s not that he’s going to be elected.

LeAlan Jones

It’s that all sorts of people will be fed up with the two power party candidates by election day.

They will probably gravitate to those two for the six-year term.

But, for the six-week term.?

That could be another matter.

Four years ago, Green Party gubernatorial candidate won about 10% of the vote.

That is significant because it gave the Green Party power party status. State law uses the words “established party.”

That designation means people affiliated with such a party need to get many, many fewer signatures to get on the ballot that non-established party candidates and independents.

My prediction is that LeAlan Jones will receive more than the 5 percentage points needed to continue the “established party” status.

That means those who want to run for local partisan office and are willing to call themselves “Greens” can easily get on the ballot.

For example, this year in county board District 5, the Green Party needed .5% of 711 votes or 4 signatures. That was enough to put Frank Wedig on the ballot, but I imagine he got more.


Comments

A Prediction for the November Election — 2 Comments

  1. Actually, to be “established” for the local races, Rich Whitney will have to get 5% again for Governor. The only way to become “established” for all partisan races in Illinois is with 5% for Governor. Getting 5% for US Senate would only “establish” the Green Party for President in 2012 (and US Senate if there was one up.) The Greens would only need 5,000 sigs in 2012 for Presidential ballot access, which helps, but for everything else they’d have to use the higher “new” party signature requirements.

    l like to use this example. We could have a Green Party President, all 100 US Senators from the Green Party, all 435 US Reps’ from the Green Party, a Green Attorney General, Treasurer, Comptroller, and Secretary of State but if a Green candidate did not get 5% for Governor, the Greens would still not be recognized by Illinois as an established party.

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