FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 19, 2016

A New Choice for Nebraskans: Jill Stein to appear on the state’s November ballot

Today leaders of the Nebraska Green Party received official notification from the Nebraska Secretary of State’s Office: Jill Stein, the U.S. Green Party’s presidential candidate, will appear on the state’s general election ballot this November.

“Choice is good,” said Steve Larrick, the Nebraska Green Party’s candidate for U.S. Senate in 2008 and for the District 1 U.S. House seat in 2004. “With the Green presidential ticket on the ballot, Nebraskans can now vote for the greater good, not just for the lesser of two evils.”

Dr. Jill Stein and her running mate, Ajamu Baraka, were officially nominated for the Green Party’s ticket at the national convention earlier this month in Houston, Texas. Here in Nebraska, they will be listed as nonpartisan, or “by petition,” a type of ballot access that requires 2,500 signatures from registered voters. Nebraska Greens submitted 7,656 signatures Aug. 1 requesting a ballot line for the candidates.

With the perennial hurdle of ballot access cleared, Greens in Nebraska and elsewhere are now working to reach more voters with their policy ideas, especially in the upcoming presidential debates. Access to the debates is controlled largely by the national Democratic and Republican parties, and third-party candidates are typically barred from participating.

“By being on the presidential ballot in most states,” Larrick said, “the Stein-Baraka team should rightfully be included in all presidential debates. It’s a simple matter of respect for American justice and democracy.”

Dr. Jill Stein is a practicing physician, a community organizer, mother, and environmental-health advocate. She also ran as the Green candidate in 2012, earning more votes than any previous woman candidate for president.

Ajamu Baraka is a human rights activist, organizer, and geopolitical analyst. He was the founding executive director of the U.S. Human Rights Network until 2011. He has served on the boards of various national and international human rights organizations, including Amnesty International (USA) and the National Center for Human Rights Education.

Voters can learn more about Dr. Stein and her running mate at www.jill2016.com.

The Nebraska Green Party organizes citizens in support of progressive causes and fights for broader access to the ballot. The party has fielded candidates in several elections since 2000, including the following partisan races:

• In 2002 Doug Paterson for U.S. House District 2
• In 2004 Steve Larrick for U.S. House District 1
• In 2004 Dante Salvatierra for U.S. House District 2
• In 2004 Roy Guisinger  for U.S. House District 3
• In 2006 Doug Paterson for Secretary of State
• In 2008 Steve Larrick for U.S. Senate

Dr. Jill Stein, the U.S. Green Party, and the Nebraska Green Party are committed to 10 Key Values, centered on grassroots democracy, local decision-making, equality, environmental wisdom, and social justice. Voters can read more about the Nebraska Green Party and its values at www.nebraskagreens.org.

Nebraska Green Party Contact Information:

• Mark Zimmermann, Treasurer, markalanzimmermann at gmail.com
• Steve Larrick, former candidate for U.S. Senate and House, slarrick1 at msn.com

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Nebraska Secretary of State

For Release:

August 19, 2016

Contact: Laura Strimple

Jill Stein will appear as presidential candidate on Nebraska ballot

LINCOLN – A presidential candidate has secured her place on the ballot in November, says Secretary of State John Gale. Jill Stein needed 2,500 signatures to be included. Election officials in 36 of Nebraska’s 93 counties verified that she received 5,388 signatures.

In all, Stein turned in just over 7,800 signatures on August 1. That was the deadline for presidential candidates to petition for inclusion on the ballot.

Of that total, 2,445 signatures were rejected. The largest category of rejections (1,362) was due to signers not being registered in Nebraska or the county indicated on the petition sheet.

Stein, who is associated with the Green Party, will appear on the ballot with the words “by petition” next to her name. The Green Party did not submit petitions to be a recognized party in Nebraska for the 2016 general election.

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Constitution Party of Nebraska
August 1, 2016 facebook post

Petition Update - the petition drive fell well short of our goal of 5400 signatures due to a number of reasons. Some reasons being we got started too late, there were an insufficient number of volunteer circulators, paid circulators not getting the needed number of signatures and the climate both environmentally and politically. I get a lot of responses from people that want an established party to join. That is not how it works in a grassroots effort. You need to be willing to put YOUR boots on the ground and do something. Until such a time as there are willing volunteers to go forth and accomplish what needs to be done the CP of NE will quietly linger on the sideline. To all of you that where willing to step up and gather signatures, I applaud and thank you. Your efforts will not go unnoticed. Have a blessed day.

Nebraska Secretary of State
August 5, 2016

Party petition drive fails to result in ballot placement

LINCOLN – Organizers have failed in their effort to place the Marijuana Party of Nebraska on the general election ballot, says Secretary of State John Gale. Valid signatures fell short of the 5,395 necessary.

By statute, valid signatures were required from at least one percent of the total votes cast for governor in the 2014 general election. As certified to the Secretary of State’s office by county election officials, only 4,353 valid signatures were collected in the petition drive.

In addition to falling short in the total number of signatures collected, valid signatures also did not reach the threshold in any of the three congressional districts. In order to be placed on the ballot, signatures would have had to equal at least one percent of the total votes cast for governor in each district in 2014.

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