Americans Elect announced this week that it has secured a ballot line in South Dakota. More than 15,000 registered voters signed the Americans Elect petition, nearly twice the state requirement, signaling that South Dakotans want a serious alternative choice for president this November. That brings the number of states that AE has qualified for a ballot line in to 25.
“With its crowdsourcing approach, Americans Elect is trying to do its part to shatter the duopoly,” said South Dakota Delegate volunteer Nick Zachariasen in a press release put out by the organization. “Many of us are tired of politics as usual. Too many times it feels as if those we elect are more interested in pleasing their party and special interests than in serving the people. Those of us in South Dakota have little or no input in the selection of qualified candidates and we only get to vote on those candidates that are put forward by the two parties. Increasingly, people are registering to vote as independents. People are tired of the parties. Why are they still in charge? Let’s try something new.”
Joining 24 other states thus far, voters in South Dakota will now be able to participate in what Americans Elect is calling “the first-ever national online primary to directly elect a unity ticket” that will appear on the November ballot. Americans Elect has also gained ballot access in Arizona, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Unfortunately, Americans Elect is having far more success organizing people off-line to collect petitions. Registering actual delegates to participate in the online primary has been slow going, with the group’s leading candidate Buddy Roemer only about 20% of the way along towards securing enough support to participate in the next round of voting.
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