ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, February 1, 1996 TAG: 9602010057
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RICHMOND
SOURCE: Associated Press
Two third-party organizations, the Libertarian Party and the Reform Party, are collecting signatures in hopes of being listed on Virginia's presidential ballot.
To get on the ballot in Virginia, a presidential candidate who is not a Republican or a Democrat must submit to the State Board of Elections petitions signed by 15,168 registered voters, including at least 200 from each of the state's 11 congressional districts. The figure represents one-half of 1 percent of the 3,033,634 voters registered in Virginia as of Jan. 1.
The Board of Elections recommends that candidates get at least 50 percent more signatures than are required to ensure that enough of them are valid.
Citizens to Establish a Reform Party, most of whom also are members of the Ross Perot organization United We Stand America, voted last weekend to try to get on the ballot in all 50 states.
James Haas, chairman of United We Stand in Virginia, said the distinction between the two groups is that the Reform Party is a political party, while United We Stand is a citizen action organization that cannot endorse or sponsor candidates, he said.
Meanwhile, the Libertarian Party of Virginia last week mailed petition forms to party members asking each member to collect 60 signatures or give $60 to help sponsor a petition drive.
``It's very hard work,'' said Richard Sincere of Arlington, the state chairman. ``It is expensive, tedious and time-consuming.''
Sincere and Haas said the obstacles faced by third-party candidates in getting on the ballot demonstrates the control of the country's two major parties.
``While they are out campaigning, arguing about issues before the voters, we have to spend long hours collecting signatures,'' Sincere said. ``Could that be the intention the Republicans and Democrats had when they wrote these ballot-access laws for third parties?''
``It is a very hard job made hard by the existing political parties,'' Haas said. He noted that the Reform Party confronts a different set of rules in each state.
Virginia's 1992 ballot had four presidential candidates in addition to Democrat Bill Clinton and Republican George Bush. The Libertarian Party candidate, Perot, political extremist Lyndon LaRouche and independent Lenora Fulani were listed.
All petitions must be submitted to the State Board of Elections by Aug. 23.
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