How to appear on the GPCA's 2016 presidential primary ballot

The California State Elections Code provides for the Secretary of State to determine who appears on the presidential primary ballot for each ballot qualified political party.  The Election Code also provides for the opportunity for each ballot qualified party to communicate to the Secretary of State whom it desires be put on that ballot (www.cagreens.org/elections-code/presidential-primary-ballot). 

Since the GPCA first began recommending candidates in 1996, the Secretary of State’s office has placed every candidate on the primary ballot that the GPCA has requested. Here is the GPCA’s process for making those recommendations:(www.cagreens.org/rules#Article_I._Presidential_Primary_Election_Ballot):

The first step is to send a written request to the GPCA  requesting placement upon the GPCA presidential primary ballot. That request should be sent to liaison@cagreens.org. What is required to be included in that request is explained in detail here and in Attachment #1 below. 

Based upon the contents of that request, either/both of the GPCA’s Campaigns and Candidates Working Group (CCWG) and/or the GPCA's GPUS Delegation will vote upon whether to forward the candidate’s request for consideration by the GPCA’s General Assembly. If either/both of the CCWG and/or the GPUS Delegation votes to forward a person’s name for consideration, then the General Assembly will vote upon whether to recommend  that person to the Secretary of State.

In 2016, the GPCA’s Standing General Assembly (or 'SGA', the on-line version of the General Assembly) will make that decision.  The discussion period will be Monday, December 21 through Sunday, January 24. The voting will be Monday, January 25 through Sunday, January 31.

The CCWG and the GPUS Delegation hold monthly meetings at which it can consider these written requests.  The CCWG’s last regular meeting before the SGA process begins is Tuesday, December 1st.  The last GPUS Delegation meeting before the SGA process begins is Monday, November 23. In between scheduled meetings, on-line voter are also possible. But recommendations by either committee must be made at least ten days prior to the commencement of the SGA process, or by December 11. Therefore we ask you to submit your written request as soon as possible, with the November and December deadlines in mind.

Also part of this process will be the GPCA’s General Assembly meeting in San Diego, January 23-24, at which we will have a presidential candidates forum on Saturday the 23rd, with all the candidates the SGA is considering for recommendation.  If you plan on submitting a written request to the GPCA, we strongly encourage you to place that date on your calendar and plan on being in San Diego.

The presidential forum will be live-streamed to Greens across California, including to SGA members, who will then vote upon the candidates the ensuing week. The forum will also be live-streamed to Greens across the United States, in conjunction with the GPUS Media Committee and Presidential Campaign Support Committee. Afterwards, the forum will be professionally edited and placed upon YouTube for even broader distribution.

Once the SGA makes its decision, it will forward it to the Secretary of State with enough advance notice, so that he Secretary of State can consider the GPCA’s formal recommendation before he makes his public announcement in early February, of whom will appear on each party’s presidential primary ballot (announcement made no later than E-120, according to CA Elections Code Section 6852, which in 2016 would be no later than Monday, February 8.)

Finally, for those who do end up appearing on the GPCA’s presidential primary ballot, the GPCA will hold another presidential candidate forum in May, 2016, weeks before the June 7 California primary.  That forum will also be live-streamed and recorded, and a link to the YouTube video will be emailed to all GPCA members before the primary, for whom we have email addresses.

(See also How to Seek the Presidential Nomination of the Green Party of the United States) 

ATTACHMENT #1:  Rules and Procedures of the Green Party of California - ARTICLE I  Presidential Primary Election Ballot
 
ARTICLE I. Presidential Primary Election Ballot
1-1 Authority

The authority to recommend names to the California Secretary of State for inclusion on the GPCA presidential primary election ballot shall rest with:

1-1.1 The General Assembly, if it meets and decides between E-125 and E-190 preceding the Primary Election, or

1-1.2 The GPCA Coordinating Committee by E-125 if no General Assembly as per 1-1.1 occurs in that period.

1-2 Eligibility

To be considered eligible for recommendation under 1-1, an interested candidate must

1-2.1(a) Be a registered Green Party member in those states in which it is possible to register Green or otherwise be a member of the Green Party (or the state party affiliated with the GPUS as it may be otherwise named) in those states in which one cannot register Green; or

1-2.1(b) Be registered "independent" or "decline-to-state" or otherwise not be a member of a ballot qualified political party; and

1-2.1(c) Not be a registrant of any state or national level ballot qualified political party in the individual's primary state of residence except for a ballot qualified state party which has affiliated with GPUS, or a party forming for the intent of GPUS affiliation in a state where there is no GPUS affiliated state party.

1-2.2 Make a request in writing to the GPCA as per 1-3.

1-3 Written Requests

Written requests requesting placement upon the GPCA presidential primary ballot must:

1-3.1 Be submitted to the GPCA Liaison to the Secretary of State, which the Liaison to the Secretary of State shall forward to the co-coordinators of the GPUS Delegation and the Campaigns and Candidates Working Group. Such requests can be initially made by email if the email contains an electronic copy of the candidate's signature that is personally confirmed by the candidate as his/her actual signature within ten days of transmittal of that email.

1-3.2 Be submitted at least seven days before the General Assembly (or meeting of the Coordinating Committee), but preferably earlier, with the knowledge of the dates when the GPUS Delegation and/or the Campaigns and Candidates Working Group will meet to make recommendations under 1-4.1. The dates of those meetings shall be made available to the co-chairs GPUS Presidential Campaign Support Committee for distribution to those who have contacted the GPUS to seek its presidential nomination.

1-3.3 Include a statement that the candidate:

1-3.3(a) is seeking the GPUS Presidential Nomination,

1-3.3(b) requests to be placed on the GPCA Presidential Primary Election Ballot,

1-3.3(c) is familiar with the platforms of the GPCA and GPUS and states where and why the candidates substantially disagrees with the GPCA or GPUS platform, if at all,

1-3.3(d) will make a good faith effort to campaign in the state during the primary election season,

1-3.3(e) if he/she receives the nomination at the GPUS Presidential Nominating Convention, that he/she would accept it and would appear on the GPCA general election ballot.

1-3.4 Include the candidate's:

1-3.4(a) web site,

1-3.4(b) response to the GPUS presidential questionnaire, if any, and if the candidate is an officially recognized candidate for the Green Party nomination for President by the GPUS, and

1-3.4(c) Federal Elections Committee (FEC) committee name and number and a report of funds received and spent. If no FEC committee has been established, then the name of campaign treasurer and financial institution where a campaign account has been established, and a statement of funds received and spent.

1-4 Certification

1-4.1 It shall be the responsibility of the Liaison to the Secretary of State, in consultation with the co-coordinators of the GPUS Delegation and the Campaigns and Candidates Working Group, to certify compliance with 1-3 and to report the results to the Coordinating Committee, the GPUS Delegation and the Campaigns and Candidates Working Group, of those who did and did not comply and in the case of those who did not, why not.

1-4.2 The Liaison to the Secretary of State shall inform the candidate of these results and in the case of those that did not comply, inform them of why not. Where a candidate has time to revise and resubmit their request in response, they may do so.

1-4.3 The certification or not by the Liaison to the Secretary of State under 1-4.1 may be appealed to the General Assembly and overturned by a 2/3 vote. The process for such an appeal to be heard shall be that after the names of those recommended under 1-4.1 are presented to the General Assembly, the facilitator shall ask if there are delegates who wish to appeal any decision of the Liaison to the Secretary of State under 1-4.1. If at least one third of the number of delegates present cosponsors a proposal to appeal, the body shall decide upon that proposal.

1-5 Decision-Making

1-5.1 All candidates from among those eligible under 1-2 that are recommended by either the GPUS Delegation or the Campaigns and Candidates Working Group shall automatically be placed before the General Assembly (or the Coordinating Committee) for consideration. Recommendations by either committee must be made at least ten days prior to the meeting of General Assembly (or the Coordinating Committee), although where possible, at least three weeks is preferred so that recommendations may be circulated to county Green organizations as early as possible.

1-5.2 The General Assembly may by a majority vote (or the Coordinating Committee by a 2/3 vote) add additional names of candidates for consideration who meet the criteria under 1-3, but who were not recommended by the GPUS Delegation or the Campaigns and Candidates Working Group. The process for such a proposal to be heard by the General Assembly (or the Coordinating Committee) shall be that after the names of those recommended under 1-4.1 are presented, the facilitator shall call for any other recommendations from the floor. If at least one third of the number of delegates present cosponsors a proposal to recommend someone eligible under 1-3, the body shall decide upon that proposal.

1-5.3 Once the list of recommended candidates is finalized, the General Assembly (or the Coordinating Committee) shall conduct its regular decision-making process, including hearing clarifying questions, concerns and affirmations. Then each candidate shall be voted upon individually by written ballot. Any candidate receiving at least a 2/3 vote of the General Assembly (or the Coordinating Committee) shall be reported to the California Secretary of State by the GPCA Liaison to the Secretary of State as being recommended by the GPCA. A copy of this recommendation shall be forwarded to the co-chairs of the GPUS Delegation , the Campaigns and Candidates Working Group and the GPUS Presidential Campaign Support Committee.

ATTACHMENT #2: Excepts from Green Party Presidential Primary in the California Elections Code

 
Article  2. Qualification of Candidates for Presidential Preference Portion of Primary Ballot
 
6851. The Secretary of State shall place the name of a candidate upon the Green Party presidential preference ballot when the Secretary of State has determined that the candidate is generally advocated for or recognized throughout the United States or California as actively seeking the presidential nomination of the Green Party or the national political party with which the Green Party is affiliated.
 
6851.5. On or before the 150th day preceding a presidential primary election, the Secretary of State shall send a letter by first-class mail to the Green Party Liaison to the Secretary of State informing her or him that, while a response is not required, any information she or he wishes to submit will be considered by the Secretary of State in the determination of candidates to be placed on the Green Party presidential preference primary ballot pursuant to Section 6851.
 
6852. On or before the 120th day preceding a presidential primary election, the Secretary of State shall publicly announce and distribute to the news media for publication a list of the candidates she or he intends to place on the ballot at the following presidential primary election. Following this announcement, the Secretary of State may add candidates to her or his selection, but she or he may not delete any candidate whose name appears on the announced list. The Secretary of State shall mail a copy of the list and any subsequent additions to the list to the Green Party Liaison to the Secretary of State.