The Wilmington morning star., 1940-06-02
BY d. HAROLD OLIVER

nnOuIlCeQ a drive 1Or more uDerdi
election laws.
Its declared purpose is to make
it easier for independent political
organizations to place their candi-
dates before the voters in compe-
tition with those of the two major
parties.
A party canvass of all state laws
made in connection with efforts
to place place Norman Thomas
Kruger on the ballot as
socialist candidates for president
and vice president-shows that a
dozen or more states have what
minority party calls ''impossi-
BILE, unfair and unreasonable" re.
quirements.
Among other things, the social.
lists would like to see more or less
uniform laws permitting them to
get on the ballot by filing petitions
from qualified voters equal to one
per cent of the total vote cast in
the previous election in each state.
Using the 1886 total popular vote
of As, GAG, BIT, this would mean the
socialists would have to muster a
nationwide strength of close to halt
a million to get their candidates on
the voting lists in all 48 states
They polled only 1877, 720 votes in
1886, far less than one per cent OF
the total vote.
The party survey showed nine
states require petitions signed by
from three to fifteen per cent of
the total vote in the state.
The Socialists have polled less
than one per cent of the total popu-
lar vote in three of their ten presi-
Dental campaigns-in 1886 and
1923 with Norman Thomas and in
1900, when the party was born,
with the late Eugene Debs. Its
highest percentage a S between
FIVE and siz per cent in 1912, also
with Debs heading the ticket.
Early filing requirements-Cali
fornia, for example, requires that
filing take place by the Feb. IL
before a November election-alsc
work a considerable handicap
on minority parties, the Socialists
contend, because the electorate
rarely gets interested in any cleo
ton work until the campaign is If
full swing"
This is especially true for in
dependent parties,' they d
since most of the votes they re
ceive come to them because the
voters reject the candidates of the
older parties"
Filings, they argue, should be
permitted up until 20 or 80 days be-
fore election to allow independents
to reap to the fullest the benefit o:
voters who do not like the old-ine
party candidates and platforms.
Despite state restrictions" thu
Socialist leaders hope to Obtain
ballot recognition in about 40 state
this year, but only because of in
tensive organization efforts and al
early start on a campaign to oh
tain petition signatures. They as
sert that any independent part.
trying to start from scratch woult
have much greater difficulty.
One of the main reasons in So
cialists nominated their 1910 tickle
earl was to meet the ballot re
quirements.
Commenting on their state Law
survey, they say it is VIRTUALLY
impossible for any Independent pc
litical party to appear on the bal
lot in Florida. This state, the!
add, does not even allow filing b.
petition, but requires that a party
to be legal, must have polled /!
per cent of Hae vote in the proceed
ing election. In 1886 this would
hav mant about 5000 vots OF
of 1927, 900. Before 1887 the law
stipulated 80 per cent.
The party listed the following
nine states as having what it called
unfair and unreasonable" sigma
ture requirements:
California petitions must be
filed by Feb. IS with signature:
amounting to 10 per cent of the
vote cast (about 252, 900 sigma
tures). The Socialists contend thi:
makes it impossible for them tt
get on the ballot. Another method
provided is to have Is, 1000 voter:
register in the name Of the mi
nority party, but the Socialists say
this is IAN impossible hurdle be
cause a few people will register a:
independents except during the
height of a campaign"
Illinois-signatures of five p
cent of voters (about 1872, 900 sigma,
tures) must be filed by Sept. 16;
petition signers must not have
voted in the republican or demo
cratic parties, and there must be
at least 200 signatures in each oil
so different counties.
Nevada-Requires signatures oil
five per cent (about 1900 and fill
this an impossible requirement in
a state with so scattered a popu-
lation," has been off the ballot
there since 1920.
Ohio-requires IS per cent (about
1862, 900 signatures), but minority
candidates may be listed without
party designation by filing only n
NV oon+ (oLo,,4 CE nm x-..--A