[Lnc-business] I predict 48 state ballot access

[Wes Benedict]

Dear LNC:

I predict 48 state ballot access. That's if we work very hard from now 
until the end. If we slack off even slightly, it will be more like 46. 
It's going to take a major paid petitioner recruiting effort to hit 50.

I'm going to put out a very strongly worded call for new people to help 
petition in several states. We need to hire 20 paid petitioners ASAP.

If you don't believe me, ask Joshua Katz how many signatures we have 
collected in Connecticut, and when the start date of that petition was.

When did we approve funds for Ohio? Quite some time ago. I just got a 
contract today (I'm about to countersign) from the petitioner we planned 
to hire weeks ago.

Ask Bill Redpath how many signatures we've collected in Illinois, when 
we started, and when the deadline is. The LNC hasn't spent a dime in 
Illinois yet. They haven't collected enough to need the money. Part of 
that is good, because their local fundraising has gone very well. But 
their rate of collection so far is far below what's needed to finish on 
time.

Ask Carla Howell how many signatures have been turned in, in 
Pennsylvania. Make sure she clarifies how many have actually been 
"turned in" versus ones we think are in people's hands out there. We get 
burned by imaginary overestimates of signatures in hand all the time.

We actually have the funds to pay for this now, thanks to strong 
performance from recent fundraising letters and lots of new dues-paying 
members. I don't think we have enough to pay for summer states yet, like 
Massachusetts or New York, but hopefully we will after our convention if 
things go well.

What I really need are new workers, and I need the LNC, the Chair, and 
Staff, to focus on getting these new petitioners on the ground in the 
states where they are needed, and to get the forms and instructions in 
their hands. I've discussed this with Bill Redpath, Carla Howell and Bob 
Johnston. I need the LNC to let us focus on this. There's a chance we'll 
need to increase some ballot access budgets. If so, when appropriate, 
I'll need the LNC to approve those. It's not certain we'll have to 
increase budgets in all states though.

Now for the good news. South Dakota, which was supposed to be done last 
October, is 98% complete.

I showed you graphs and charts of progress in Oklahoma along the way. I 
told you we're 98% in South Dakota because I know the actual numbers. 
The fact that I can't report detailed numbers to you on the other states 
should be a warning sign right there.

I don't like sharing bad news or telling you we let things reach the 
urgent state. But I haven't seen anyone else share this news publicly. I 
keep hearing "we're going to be on the ballot in all 50 states."

I don't want failure to get on 50 to be a surprise that only a few of us 
saw coming.

We can get 50, if we do what it takes, instead of other time-burning things.

-- 
Wes Benedict, Executive Director
Libertarian National Committee, Inc.
1444 Duke St., Alexandria, VA 22314
(202) 333-0008 ext. 232, wes.benedict at lp.org
facebook.com/libertarians @LPNational
Join the Libertarian Party at: http://lp.org/membership

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