Richard Winger

Ballot Access News http://ballot-access.org/

A monthly newsletter with both online as well as print editions, Ballot Access News is based out of the US and champions the cause of fair and equitable ballot access laws, especially for minor political parties within the state.

Started by political activist and analyst, Richard Winger (widely known for his expertise on ballot access and election law) in 1985, Ballot Access News covers developments in ballot access, reports on state and federal court decisions, compares the United States ballot access laws to those of other democratic nations and documents the number of votes independent and minor party candidates receive, all while recording the activities of the Coalition for Free and Open Elections, http://www.cofoe.org/ an interest group of minor party members and others working together on ballot access law reform.

As its editor and publisher, Winger, though not a lawyer ( he graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1966 as a political science major, and attended graduate school in political science at UCLA), is a formidable authority on election law. He has testified in countless court cases across the country and is widely regarded as an expert on election law in federal courts across nine states.

He has been published in journals like the Journal of Election Law (he is also a part of their editorial board), The Wall Street Journal, the Fordham Urban Law Review, American Review of Politics, California Journal, etc, even appearing as a commentator on ballot access on CNN, NBC, NPR and ABC.

A member of the Libertarian Party for several years now, Winger did make a run for public office in 1986, finishing fourth among five candidates with 1.5% of the vote. His newsletter, however, which publishes analysis, statistics and legal information has enjoyed great success, making him the nation's leading expert on ballot access legal issues.

Understanding ballot access barriers and news happening in the ballot access world is the first step to accepting our responsibility as voters in participating in our democracy.

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