The Libertarian Party is now a recognized party in Maine, as the Secretary of State’s office announced that more than enough Libertarian voters had been registered.
The law was changed in 2014 so that a new party would need at least 5,000 registered members by December 1 in the year prior to a general election to become recognized. Maine Libertarians submitted more than 6,300 registered voter forms by the deadline last year, but almost 2,000 were thrown out so that the party would not appear on the 2016 ballot. A judge later ruled that 4,513 registrations were valid and that the Maine Libertarians would have until July 12 to submit the remaining 487 registrations to become a party.
To retain party status in Maine, the party will have to have at least 10,000 registered voters participate in the November election.
The LP presidential and vice presidential nominees are now on the ballot in 35 states.
The Libertarian Party currently has ballot access for the 2016 Presidential candidate in 35 states. We’re working to get on the ballot in all 50 states plus DC.
Green: on the ballot
Blue: process underway to get on the ballot
Rebecca Loveless, the owner of Tradition Tatoo, gives Paul Collinson his first tattoo.
Last night, Tradition Tattoo shop owner Rebecca Loveless had a quasi-judicial hearing with the Delray Beach City Commission regarding whether she could move her Boca Raton tattoo salon to the City of Delray Beach. She won! For your reference, I wrote an article on the issue this past Monday. Many members of the Libertarian Party of Palm Beach County (LPPalmBeach) both wrote the city commission and appeared at last night’s hearing to support Loveless and her small business effort. Although I was the only Libertarian who spoke in favor of allowing Loveless to open, several members showed up to show their support, including (but not limited to) LPPalmBeach Chair Shane George, Vice-Chair Marc Tancer, and Treasurer Larry Stone. No one at the meeting spoke out against Tradition Tattoo. But don’t get too excited, as city commissioners didn’t want Delray residents to have too much freedom because they restricted Loveless to only doing tattoos, no piercings allowed!
Loveless, who lives in Delray Beach, had signed a lease for a space in the south end of Delray after meeting with Delray’s planning and zoning earlier this year who recommended she open up shop there. So, she signed a lease and had to stop renovations once some members had concerns about Delray having its first tattoo shop. Loveless has now been paying rent on both spaces, even though the Delray location has remained empty. The city commission refused to give her final approval even though there was nothing restricting a tattoo shop from opening in the city. No one spoke against the tattoo shop from opening and ultimately, last night, all the city commissioners did the right thing by voting in favor of Loveless. After stating earlier that the case would be determined based on fact and not the character of tattoos or tattoo recipients, the mayor finished the quasi-judicial hearing with a long list of derogatory statements concerning tattoo shops and their effect on surrounding neighborhoods. A video of last night’s meeting can be found here: http://delraybeach.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=3&clip_id=938
Unfortunately, it was only a half win for Libertarians as, even though city commissioners voted to permit Loveless to open Tradition Tattoo in Delray Beach, last night they voted on at least a 90-day moratorium of future tattoo shops from opening until the city can update their zoning regulations as they pertain to tattoo shops (Reso 26-16 Zoning in Progress ResolutionTattooStudio (1)-Delray). As mentioned earlier, there is nothing in the city’s code that restrict a tattoo shop from operating in the city limits.
Libertarians are not for or against tattoo shops and are free marketers when it comes to individuals transacting voluntary business with others. This is especially true in Loveless’ case because her business has the added benefit of artistic expression which is protected by the U.S. Constitution.
In a presidential campaign season featuring polarizing front-runners and infighting among Republicans and Democrats, Gary Johnson sees an opening.
That’s if more folks realize they have options outside of the country’s two juggernaut parties, says the former two-term New Mexico governor.
The Republican-turned-Libertarian got something of a pick-me-up late last month. He drew 11 percent support in a nationwide Monmouth University poll asking registered voters whom they would pick in a contest between Republican Donald Trump, Democrat Hillary Clinton and Johnson, the 63-year-old fitness freak who has climbed each continent’s tallest mountain (Everest was the biggest challenge).
