[Lnc-business] Threat to New Hampshire Ballot Access

[Sam Goldstein]

Justin,

Sounds like this bill is a good candidate for litigation if it passes.

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Sam Goldstein
Libertarian National Committee
317-850-0726 Cell

On 2019-01-29 17:37, Justin O'Donnell via Lnc-business wrote:
> Tomorrow at 1:30 PM the New Hampshire House Elections law Committee
> will be hearing HB 643.
> 
> On the surface, this bill just changes the date of the Primary from
> the Tuesday before the first Wednesday in September, to the Tuesday
> before the first Wednesday in June.
> 
> Not only does this shift the primary up 3 months, but it would also
> shift the filing period, and petition gathering period up 3 months as
> well. And since Petitions for Independent and minor party candidates
> are due to the Supervisors of the Checklist for validation by 5pm on
> the Wednesday 5 weeks prior to the state Primary (RSA 655:41), and
> since NH has no mechanism for substitution of candidates, It would in
> effect require organizations like The Libertarian Party and The Green
> Party and The Constitution Party, who are not recognized as major
> parties by the State of New Hampshire, to hold their nominating
> Conventions prior to the new filing period which would begin in early
> March, rather than early June as it does currently.
> 
> Currently, as the Libertarian Party holds their nominating Convention
> in May of Presidential Years, we are able to petition our candidate
> onto the ballot in New Hampshire following said convention for 3,000
> signatures. However, should this bill pass, the only option for access
> to the ballot that would be available to third party candidates, would
> be through an organizational petition starting January 1st, and
> collecting 17,407 valid signatures prior to the end of March, and
> submitting a list of nominated candidates afterwards.
> 
> I will be testifying against this Bill in Committee Tomorrow
> Afternoon, but should it pass, it would drastically alter the
> landscape of Presidential Ballot Access in New Hampshire, and make it
> significantly harder, and more costly to achieve ballot access in this
> state for the Libertarian Candidate.