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3rd parties hit deadline to seek ballot slots

August 01, 2008 @ 06:20 PM

The Associated Press

The Associated Press

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) _ Independent Ralph Nader appears to be leading several alternative party presidential candidates jockeying to get on West Virginia's general election ballot.

Minor parties must petition Secretary of State Betty Ireland to get their candidates listed on the November ballot. The threshold for their presidential contenders is valid signatures from 15,118 registered voters, or 2 percent of the ballots cast for that office in 2004.

Nader supporters had submitted 24,377 signatures by Friday's deadline. Of those, 14,036 were validated and around 4,400 were awaiting review, Ireland's office said.

But Libertarian White House hopeful Bob Barr delivered around 800 pages of signatures to state election officials. Barr's tally of valid names stood at 865, out of 2,822 reviewed, before the former Georgia congressman's campaign dropped off the additional petitions Friday.

"We're very hopeful," said Mike Ferguson, a Barr spokesman. "We'll wait until the secretary of state goes through them."

The Constitution Party has so far submitted 11,314 signatures for its candidates, Chuck Baldwin. Officials had validated 7,442 of those by Friday, with 1,750 more to review.

The successful petitioning candidates will join Democrat Barack Obama, Republican John McCain and Green Party nominee Cynthia McKinney on West Virginia's ballot. The latter party gained ballot access by affiliating with the state's Mountain Party, which won its status by attracting enough votes in the 2000 and 2004 gubernatorial races.

Ireland's office requires a final roster of valid candidates in time for counties to arrange their names on the ballot by drawing Aug. 26. County election officials need absentee ballots in hand by Sept. 23. Early in-person voting begins Oct. 15, while Election Day is Nov. 4.

Nader supporters say their candidate, mounting his fifth White House bid, will campaign in West Virginia. Ferguson expects the same of Barr.

"We know we're going to have him here, and multiple times," he said.