Oklahoma City, OK – Today Bob Barr held a press conference at 2:30pm central in the Rotunda of the Oklahoma Capitol building to announce that he was filing a lawsuit to gain access challenge the Oklahoma ballot. He released the following statement:
One of the most essential components of democratic elections in the
United States is the choice among a slate of candidates, which creates
the competition among candidates for a political office. Without
choice, voters are left with few--if any--options in selecting their
political leaders. Unfortunately in Oklahoma, ballot access laws are so
strict that it disallows many well-qualified candidates from
participating in the elections. The end result is elections with little
choice and little competition, chilling the democratic process and
hurting the citizens of Oklahoma.
In 2004, the rigid ballot access laws in Oklahoma made it the only
state in the nation with only two choices for president. If
voters liked neither George Bush nor John Kerry, they had no other
options from which to choose. This is not how democracy is supposed to
work, and its impact resonates well beyond the borders of the state.
Should a state refuse a national candidate the right to be placed on
the ballot, it artificially manipulates the candidate's election totals
at a national level. This is not just a state issue, but an issue
that affects voters across the nation. Every vote denied by a
state is an assault on the very underpinnings of democracy in the
United States.
Barr represented the 7th District of Georgia in the U. S. House of
Representatives from 1995 to 2003, where he served as a senior member
of the Judiciary Committee, as Vice-Chairman of the Government Reform
Committee, and as a member of the Committee on Financial Services.
Prior to his congressional career, Barr was appointed by President
Reagan to serve as the United States Attorney for the Northern District
of Georgia, and also served as an official with the CIA.
Since leaving Congress, Barr has been practicing law and has teamed up
with groups ranging from the American Civil Liberties Union to the
American Conservative Union to actively advocate every American
citizens’ right to privacy and other civil liberties guaranteed in the
Bill of Rights. Along with this, Bob is committed to helping elect
leaders who will strive for smaller government, lower taxes and
abundant individual freedom.