PRESS RELEASE from Ralph Nader for
President 2008
September 18, 2008
www.votenader.org
www.officialnaderstore.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Toby Heaps
RALPH NADER ON A RECORD
46 BALLOTS FOR THE 2008 ELECTION
Voters will be
able to choose or write in Nader in 49 states plus D.C.
The campaign of independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader
announced today that the Nader/Gonzalez ticket will officially be on
the ballot in 45 states plus the District of Columbia this November.
Voters will also be able to write in Nader/Gonzalez in four more
states: Texas, Georgia, Indiana and North Carolina, for a total of 49
states plus D.C.
"This means 85 percent of the American electorate will actually see the
names Ralph Nader and Matt Gonzalez on their ballots," said Michael
Richardson, the campaign's national ballot access coordinator.
This is an historic first for the lifelong consumer advocate. It is the
most ballots Nader has ever been on. In his two previous runs for
president, Nader was on 34 state ballots plus D.C. in 2004, and 44 plus
D.C. in 2000.
The Nader ticket was missing from several key state ballots in 2004
where the campaign has succeeded in gaining ballot access this year
including: the populous California and the swing states of Oregon,
Illinois, Pennsylvania and Arizona, as well as Hawaii.
In California, Utah and Iowa, Nader will appear on the ballot line of
the Peace & Freedom Party, in Oregon, the Peace Party, in New York
the Populist Party, in Florida the Ecology Party. In all the other
states, voters can find Nader/Gonzalez on the Independent or
Independent Party line. The only state where voters can't vote for
Nader is Oklahoma, because they don't allow write-ins.
"This is quite a feat since states generally make it really hard for
third-party candidates to get on state ballots," Richardson said. "But
in every state, our volunteers collected more than enough signatures to
qualify. The response has been positive -- much better than in 2004.
It's obvious that there is national interest in more choices and
independent candidates outside the two-party system."
Nader is also polling stronger this year than he was at the same time
in 2004 or 2000. According to new Time/CNN polls, Nader/Gonzalez is
polling at 6 percent nationally, and as high as 6-8 percent in key
battleground states of Colorado (7%), Michigan (6%), Pennsylvania (7%),
New Mexico (8%), and Nevada (6%).
"It's clear that Ralph Nader could again have a significant impact on
the Presidential race -- though in highly unpredictable ways," Time/CNN
pollsters concluded.
On overcoming more ballot-access hurdles than any other third-party
candidate, Ralph Nader, commented: "This has been a Herculean effort
and one of the purposes of our campaign is to clear away these ballot
access hurdles and open up the ballots to diverse candidates -- to
third-party and independent candidates who are not afraid to stand up
for issues, like single-payer Medicare for all, living wage, and our
Constitution -- all crucial areas where the two parties act against the
will of the majority of America."
To see where other non-major party candidates have achieved a ballot
line visit: http://www.ballot-access.org/ballot-chart.html
For more information on the campaign, visit votenader.org.
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