MICHIGAN LIBERTARIAN
June 2018

By Bill Hall, Chair

The Libertarian Party’s biennial national convention in New Orleans June 30 – July 3 promises to be quite a party. It is exceeding all records for registrants, with reservations to date far ahead of our last, packed, presidential nominating convention in Orlando, and it’s not too late to sign up. Go to https://libertarianconvention.org.

The business of the convention will include the selection of national officers and the Libertarian National Committee, in some hotly-contested races. Our own Brian Ellison has thrown his hat in the ring to run for a position as our regional representative to the LNC. That race will be decided in a caucus of the delegates from the states in our region.

Delegates will vote on changes to the national party bylaws and platform. Our own Jim Fulner serves on the Platform Committee, by virtue of our status as one of the top 10 states for national Libertarian party membership. Our own Emily Salvette was selected by the LNC to continue her many years of service on the national Credentials Committee.

One Continuing Party

The business sessions are not the only reason for attending the convention. The national convention is one continuing party, from the euphoria you feel from being surrounded by and interacting with a thousand or more Libertarians, to the many social functions, hospitality suites, and opportunities to interact with like-minded Libertarians. And the location in New Orleans is a special bonus. The convention is about a 10-block walk from the French quarter and all the excitement it has to offer. New Orleans has some of the best restaurants in the world, many sightseeing opportunities, and much history to soak up.

Alternate Positions Available

At our March Libertarian Summit we selected 36 convention delegates and 14 alternates. We know from experience all those won’t attend. A few delegates have already dropped out and alternates moved into their positions. We may send up to 50 alternates, so it’s not too late to sign up. If you want to be an alternate, email LPM Secretary Emily Salvette right away at secretary@michiganlp.org, so the LEC can act on your request. You need not be a delegate or alternate to attend the convention and enjoy all of the non-business functions.

Oops! I Missed The Filing Deadline!

Four ways you can still run for office without qualifying for the primary

By Greg Stempfle, Political Director

1) Be nominated for statewide office at the Libertarian Party of Michigan Fall State Convention

There are thirteen statewide candidates that may be nominated at our August 25 state convention in Romulus. These are candidates that do not compete in the primary election. Delegates will select our nominees for Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, State Board of Education (2 seats), MSU Board of Trustees (2), U of M Board of Regents (2), WSU Board of Governors (2), and Justice of the Supreme Court (2).

2) Win the primary as a write-in candidate

To win a primary as a write-in candidate and advance to the general election, the write-in candidate has to receive enough votes to equal 0.15% of the population of the particular area based on the 2010 census (MCL 168.582). For statewide office, such as US Senator, this figure is 14,825 write-in votes, nearly the same as the 15,000 required signatures to qualify for the ballot in the first place. For Congress, it will average 1,059 write-in votes, State Senate, 390 votes, and State House, 135 votes. The number will vary slightly district to district, depending on the population. In order to run as a write-in candidate, the candidate has to file a “Declaration of Intent” by July 27, 2018.

For comparison, in 2016, Debra Wirth won an otherwise uncontested Democratic primary for the 4th district with 2,013 votes and in 2012 Gary Johnson got 7,774 write-in votes for President in Michigan. Mike Duggan holds the record for most write-in votes received with 44,395 in the 2013 Detroit Mayoral primary.

3) Run as an independent

The option also exists to qualify for the November ballot as a candidate with “No Party Affiliation”. Such independent candidates must also collect signatures to appear on the ballot; a filing fee is not an option. The signature number requirement for each office are as follows: US Senator or Governor (30,000), Congress (3,000), State Senator (1,500), and State Representative (600). The deadline to file for the general election as an independent is July 19, 2018.

4) Run for nonpartisan office

There will be a limited number of nonpartisan races on the ballot this year across the state including various school boards, community college boards, library boards and city offices. Please check with your local or county election officials to see what will be on the November ballot and confirm the local filing deadline.

Write-in, independent, and nonpartisan candidates are able to receive an endorsement from Libertarian Party of Michigan delegates at the Fall State Convention, but our bylaws prohibit us from endorsing candidates running as nominees of other parties.