• By Garret Wassermann, Co-chair of Green Party of the U.S.

PHILADELPHIA – Earlier this year, the Pennsylvania Republican Party proposed changes to the state's 1938 Election Code. The bill, HB 1300, was ultimately vetoed by Governor Tom Wolf in June. However, Pennsylvania's decades-old election code does need serious analysis and change, especially in light of lessons learned in 2020 while trying to hold elections during a global pandemic. The Green Party of Pennsylvania (GPPA) had previously submitted some ideas to the public, and I would like to revisit and expand on those ideas.

• The Democrats belie their commitment to democracy by repeatedly suing to get the minor party off ballots

Democrats have framed their voting-rights legislation as a "battle for the soul of America." President Biden last week said that "the right to vote and to have that vote counted is democracy's threshold liberty." But what about the right to a real choice?

We all know that Maine is peculiar in all sorts of ways, so it should be no surprise that we are out on an island in terms of the way we allow access by political parties to our ballots:

“Maine’s statutory scheme is almost entirely unique in the nation,” says Oliver Hall, legal counsel for the Center for Competitive Democracy, “in that the only way to become a ballot-qualified party is to have enough enrolled members.” 

Specifically, you need to launch your political party and get to 10,000 members within two elections. Before recent legal revisions, it was even worse: You had to have 10,000 enrollees actually vote in that election! 

• Climate poses the greatest threat to the future of humanity

ALBANY, NY – The Green Party is the strongest political voice calling for real solutions to reduce the severity of climate change and to provide hope for a decent life for future generations. Democrats and Republicans at all levels – from the state to the White House and Congress – continue to protect the fossil fuel companies and their profits so the special interest campaign contributions keep flowing.

ALBANY, NY  12/2/21 – Green Party of New York leaders today called on the Legislature and Gov. Hochul to enact a "Gold Standard" ballot access bill that would expand voter choice in New York State.

While Green officials said they supported the Legislature's renewed push to expand absentee ballot access and a voter registration deadline closer to Election Day, they also said that strengthening democracy requires Democrat Party lawmakers to reverse their recent efforts to kill the independent third parties in New York. Many political scientists point out that the United States' unique lack of robust third parties among the world's so-called democracies is a major cause of the present toxic politics in the country.

SO. DEERFIELD, MA – Thank you for all you've done to build our movement for people, planet, and peace over profit! Our work together has set the progressive agenda on issue after issue, from an emergency Green New Deal and Medicare for All to free public higher education, democracy reforms like Ranked-Choice Voting and much more.

Now, in the face of accelerating climate collapse, crushing inequality, endless war and the epic failure of public health — we need independent politics more than ever to advance these transformative solutions our lives depend on.

HELENA, MT — Part of a Montana election law that states how many signatures minor parties must gather for their candidates to appear on ballots is unconstitutional, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled.

The Montana Green Party in 2018 challenged the rules that require minor parties to gather signatures equal to at least 5 percent of the total votes cast for the winner in the most recent gubernatorial election in at least 34 of 100 state House districts.

ALBANY, NY – You've seen the headlines: The Republicans are stripping away voters' rights, state by state. The Democrats lack the political will to change the filibuster rule in order to pass legislation to protect voters' rights. Right here in our state, now-disgraced-and-resigned Cuomo and the State Legislature took away your right to vote your values when they changed the election law to radically increase New York's ballot access requirements.

The Green Party of New York (GPNY) has never stopped fighting back — in the courts, speaking with legislators and engaging the public. It's an expensive fight: attorney fees, paid petitioners and well-resourced candidates for 2022 are needed. Can you help by giving $22 today, to the Green Party in New York?