Election night signals fresh start - not end - to Libertarian efforts
RALEIGH (Oct. 29) -- After a long day at the polls, members of the
Libertarian Party will be watching election returns closely on Tuesday
night. Libertarians will gather at the Tir na nOg Irish Pub in downtown
Raleigh Tuesday night to follow election returns. They will cheer on
candidates in local, state and national races, revel at the defeat of
state constitutional amendments and celebrate "no" votes on local bond
issues.
Libertarians will also be kicking off their next fight to retain status
as a recognized party in North Carolina. "Rather than seeing this as a
time to take a break," said LP cjair and gubernatorial candidate Barbara
Howe. "We view election night as the start of our next monumental task -
making sure the State of North Carolina allows Libertarians to stay
registered in the party that best represents them for another four years."
Libertarians statewide will spend the day campaigning and collecting
signatures to maintain the party's status as officially recognized by the
state Board of Elections. Since North Carolina has some of the most
restrictive ballot access laws in the United States if neither Barbara
Howe nor presidential candidate Michael Badnarik receive 10 percent of the
vote on Nov. 2, Libertarians will once again be forced to take to the
streets and gather over 100,000 signatures to keep the party on the ballot
for another four years.
Since neither Badnarik nor Howe was allowed to participate in any of
the debates staged between their opponents and most North Carolina polls
left both out of their surveys, it is anyone's guess what the final vote
tally will be," said Libertarian Party Executive Director Sean Haugh.
Haugh continues, "But in any case, we intend to not waste the election-day
opportunity to ask voters for their support of Libertarian Party ballot
access. Our people will be out there campaigning and asking for signatures
at the same time. We have a long hard struggle ahead of us because of the
General Assembly's restrictions on ballot access, and there's no time like
the present to get started."
And the Libertarian Party will hit the ground running; in addition to
collecting signatures at polling places on election day, the festivities
themselves will kick off a ballot access drive. The suggested contribution
for admission to the election night party is either 15 petition signatures
on behalf of the Libertarian Party ballot access or $15 for the ballot
access fund. "Everyone who wants to help the Libertarian Party - North
Carolina's only recognized alternative to the Republicans and Democrats -
continue to offer alternatives for peace and individual liberty is more
than welcome to join us," says Sean Haugh.
Libertarians will also be carefully watching returns from Amendment
One, a revision of the state constitution that would allow local
governments to issue some bonds without voter approval. The Libertarian
Party has led the fight against Amendment One during the campaign season,
including staging an anti-Amendment One rally in downtown Raleigh in
September. Susan Hogarth, candidate for Wake County Commission, says that
here, too, Libertarians are prepared for any eventuality. "I fully expect
the voters to reject Amendment One as they have twice before," says
Hogarth, "but if it does pass, I have a lawsuit prepared to block its
implementation, so in either case, we will be either celebrating or
digging in for the long haul."
Whatever the election returns, the 2004 election season has already
been a success for the Libertarian Party. According to statistics released
by the North Carolina State Board of Elections, the number of registered
Libertarians in North Carolina has increased by 20 percent during 2004,
more than twice as quickly as Democratic or Republican registrations.
According to Barbara Howe, "It's clear that many people are tired of the
opportunistic attitudes of the major parties and are looking for a party
that reflects their principles - principles that include individual
liberty and personal responsibility. That party is the Libertarian Party.
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