Coronavirus 2020 — Green Party National and State Responses


"COVID-19 has exposed how poorly prepared the U.S. healthcare system is to handle an epidemic,” said Green Party National Co-Chair Margaret Flowers, who also serves on the Board of Advisors to Physicians for a National Health Program. “We've missed the window for containing the virus through screening, testing and monitoring infected people and their contacts — as they did in China, South Korea and other countries. And so we can expect millions of cases.” Flowers also warned that “getting ill in the United States carries the extra burden of potential financial ruin. We need to move to a National Improved Medicare for All health system and paid medical leave as rapidly as possible."

The Green Party stands for Medicare for AllGreen Party platform plank on Health Care


US Senate Candidate Savage calls for fellow candidates to take postal pledge to save the USPS

GRAY, Me – The U.S. Postal Service is a lifeline for so many Americans, especially rural Mainers. Now, that lifeline is in danger of running out of money due to reduced mail traffic and increased costs during the Covid-19 pandemic. Independent Green candidate for U.S. Senate Lisa Savage pledged today to support full and continued funding for the USPS upon her election and called on her fellow candidates to make the same pledge.


Pacific Green Party nominating convention

EUGENE, Or – The Pacific Green Party (PGP) nominating convention is less than one week away from today. You are invited to participate in choosing our candidates for this year's election cycle.

Due to COVID19, the Nominating Convention will take place online via Zoom meeting on June 6 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This year we are also going to have absentee voting online starting June 3 at 8:00 a.m., ending on June 6 at 4:30 p.m.


COVID-19 crisis – time for the Green Party to step into the political vacuum

The Covid-19 health catastrophe and economic depression has made it clear to all who are willing believe their own experiences that the two governing parties are presiding over a failed state

With 4% of the world’s population, the US has 30% of the world’s Covid-19 infections and deaths.


Pacific Green Party of Oregon issues policy statement on Covid19 pandemic

  • 'Green perspective' covers need for investigations; challenges Governor to do more testing

SALEM, Or – The Pacific Green Party (PGP) issued a wide-ranging Covid19 pandemic policy statement. It calls for Oregon to emulate Washington State around their aggressive approach to testing; it demands economic assistance for the low income community, and calls for investigations into President Trump's malfeasance. The statement rakes President Trump for failing to accept World Health Organization test kits in early February.


Coronavirus adds to ballot access hurdles for third party candidates

When Michigan Rep. Justin Amash, a former Republican who left the party in July to become an independent, announced last weekend that he would not pursue the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination, the move removed a higher profile name from the top of its ticket.

Before Amash decided to forgo a run, a similar thing happened to the Green Party. Former Gov. Jesse Ventura, who became Minnesota's chief executive by running as a Reform Party candidate in the 1990 election, said at the end of April he was "testing the waters" for a possible bid for the minor party's nomination, only to announce a week and a half later that he would be sitting this one out.


COVID-19 thoughts from California

San Jose, Ca – As California ramps up its testing capacity for COVID-19 and a portion of workers are allowed to return to work, let's not forget that over 3 million Californians - and currently about 100,000 Santa Clara County residents - remain without health insurance, the vast majority of whom are undocumented immigrants. Even though Santa Clara County is proposing initiatives to provide health coverage to those who can't afford it, many with coverage can't pay their medical bills and/or avoid going to the doctor or the hospital for fear of contracting the coronavirus. This situation hugely benefits for-profit health insurances at the expense of people's health and well-being.


Maryland Greens File Federal Suit For Ballot Access

BALTIMORE – Last night the Maryland Green Party filed a lawsuit in Federal Court against Governor Larry Hogan and State Board of Elections Administrator Linda Lamone in order to challenge the unconstitutional application of Maryland’s ballot access laws during the COVID-19 State of Emergency.

Since early March when we suspended our in-person petitioning efforts, we have been lobbying the State of Maryland for two demands: 1) allow electronic signature collection and 2) lower the signature threshold to account for the impossibility of petitioning during a global pandemic.


Judge Diamond's big miscalculation

PHILADELPHIA – Many Pennsylvania Greens are aware that Jill Stein sued the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania following the 2016 election to reveal that voters could not demand a recount of voting machines that were unverifiable. The subsequent settlement, among other things, required a true paper ballot. Once the counties started purchasing the machines, Stein’s committee found that the Election Systems & Software ExpressVote XL (ES&SXL) did not provide a true paper ballot. She therefore reopened the settlement in November 2019. I was a plaintiff as well an observer in the courtroom in the reopening of the settlement. I also observed the mostly thankless role which Jill Stein had in doing what was right for the voters. Judge Paul S. Diamond released his opinion on April 29, and it was not favorable.


PA Green Party seeks Federal Court relief from unconstitutional election requirements

PHILADELPHIA – On May 15, the Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA) filed suit in the U.S. Court for the Eastern District of PA, demanding relief from unconstitutional election laws which are impossible to meet under emergency COVID-19 measures declared by PA Governor Tom Wolf.

PA election rules require a minimum of 5,000 voter signatures for state-wide candidates to be awarded space on the ballot. This involves the effort of dozens of volunteers and hundreds of hours of labor to collect signatures in public before the early August deadline. Under Wolf’s stay-at-home order, volunteers will not be allowed to circulate in public, and there will be no public gatherings for them to attend.


Green Party of Virginia ballot access update

FALLS CHURCH, Va – The Green Party of Virginia (GPVA), along with the Constitution Party and independent candidates, joined a lawsuit this week asking for a waiver of signature requirements for ballot access in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and Governor Northam's pursuant emergency stay-at-home order for the state. The GPVA has successfully met the ballot signature requirements for every candidate it has run, including presidential candidates in every presidential election, for at least the previous 12 years.