As the votes from the 2018 primary elections are being finalized, the Illinois Green Party is complaining about the challenges third party political groups often face.

The Illinois Green Party criticized the conduct of Cook County poll workers during the primary after receiving reports that voters were not given Green Party ballots when requested. Green Party voters were instead told to choose between a Democrat or Republican ballot in at least nine of suburban Cook County townships, according to a March 20 press release from the party.

The Green Party of Texas (GPTX) has filed party registration with the Texas Secretary of State’s office, declaring GPTX intent to nominate candidates to the November 2018 general election ballot.

GPTX lost ballot access in 2016 when it’s leading statewide candidate, Martina Salinas for Railroad Commissioner, finished with 3.26%, receiving 285,558 votes. Despite this and other strong finishes across the state, GPTX failed to meet the 5% threshold in a statewide race necessary to retain ballot access. In order to again qualify, GPTX will have to collect 47,183 verified voter signatures, in person, from voters who have not participated in any other party’s primary or convention, within a 75-day period beginning March 14th.

Last year the Green Party gained national visibility and reached a peak of 5% support in mid-summer polls. As the election drew closer, support gradually fell to 1.1% on election day. While a number of factors were at play, the lack of ballot lines in several large states was among them.

The 1.5 million votes received by Jill Stein in 2016 is three times her vote total in 2012. It is nine times the votes received by former congresswoman Cynthia McKinney in 2008, and twelve times the vote for David Cobb in 2004. While the Green Party presidential vote in 2016 is only 51% of our vote for Ralph Nader in 2000, it is double the vote for Nader's best run as an independent.

The Green Party news out of North Carolina is incredible. A law just passed that will reduce the North Carolina Green Party’s ballot-access requirement from a whopping 94,000 petition signatures to about 11,000. The law will finally put North Carolina’s ballot-access laws on par with most states. Thanks to Greens who helped push for its passage!

And with a $5,000 grant from the Green Party of the United States, the North Carolina Green Party is organizing petitioners and phone-banking to ensure it gets on the ballot in 2018—for the first time in history.