Secretary of State Mark Martin's office is reviewing a request by the Arkansas Libertarian Party to add four of the party's state House of Representatives candidates to local ballots, after a federal judge declined to force the state to do so last month.
Party Chairman Michael Pakko sent Martin a letter Monday asking that the candidates be included on the ballot. A resolution adopted at a convention of party members over the weekend also calls for four candidates for county offices to be included on ballots.
A spokesman with the secretary of state's office confirmed that the letter was received and said the staff was reviewing it.
"We're at the mercy of their sense of justice and fairness," Pakko said Wednesday, adding that the appeal to Martin is likely the party's last chance to get the eight candidates on the ballot for the Nov. 8 general election.
The candidates were selected at a party nominating convention Feb. 27 and submitted to the secretary of state's office March 1, the same date as the Democratic and Republican primaries. However, Arkansas Annotated Code 7-5-205 requires nominees from newly recognized political parties to file a political practice pledge during the party candidate filing period, which ended Nov. 9.
The Libertarians sued earlier this year, arguing that the statutory requirement gave the party's candidates less time to consider a run.
U.S. District Judge James Moody Jr. ruled July 15 that the requirement placed an unconstitutional burden on the party, but he declined to force the state to add the nominees' names because candidates from all of the political parties were subject to the same filing deadline.
Moody also said there was still time for the state to add the candidates' names to the ballot because they have not yet been printed.
The Libertarian candidates for state House races are William Barger in District 35, Debrah Wilson Standiford in District 38, Robert Reed in District 68 and Justin Brantley in District 88.
The party also nominated Darrell Brown for Pulaski County constable, Jeremy Hurtt for Pulaski County justice of the peace, Shawn Young for Columbia County justice of the peace, and Marc Leon Rosson for Sevier County constable.
Candidates for president, U.S. Congress, the state Legislature, judgeships, prosecutor and constitutional offices such as governor file with the secretary of state's office at the state Capitol. Candidates for offices such as justice of the peace and constable typically file with county clerk's offices.
Pulaski County Clerk Larry Crane said he was unaware of any letters being sent to his office regarding the two Libertarian candidates. Sevier County Clerk Debbie Hughes said she received a fax from the Libertarian Party and was waiting for direction from Martin's office. The Columbia County clerk could not be reached Wednesday.
Other Libertarian nominees, selected at another convention held in October, will be on the ballot. They include the party's presidential candidate, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, U.S. Senate candidate Frank Gilbert and candidates for all four U.S. congressional districts in Arkansas.
The party has 18 candidates on the ballot for state House, Senate and county races in November, according to the party's website. There are currently three Libertarians serving in local offices in Arkansas.
Metro on 08/04/2016