It's too late for Bernie to get on the ballot to run as an independent.

[CK_John]

Many states have no second bite laws and most others deadline to get on the ballot was in March.

[Old Codger]

1. But not

to late to write in..

[dana_b]

4. +1

[SamKnause]

11. That is not an option in all states.

I called my Board of Elections.

Ballots with write-ins are tossed.

[casperthegm]

12. Seriously?

Wow, talk about being owned by the establishment...

[SamKnause]

14. Yes.

Ohio does not allow write-ins.

[NCTraveler]

36. That's is some BS. Nt

[BernieforPres2016]

16. I checked online this morning and that is the case for unauthorized write ins in NC

There is some kind of petition process to go through for for a candidate to be qualified as a write in. Write in votes for anybody else are tossed.

[JimDandy]

33. 40 states do allow write-ins and almost all the Dem states are in that category. n/t

[Nonhlanhla]

17. What is the point of a write-in?

How does it help you achieve progressive goals? How does it help to elect sensible government?

Do you think anyone cares about write-ins? Do you think they sit there and think, oh geez, if only we had nominated this candidate who has gotten some write-ins, the crazies on the right would not have won? Do you think it really conveys a progressive message to the DNC? No, all it conveys to them is that the progressive wing cannot be relied on to support the Democratic coalition. So next time progressive voices will get ignored even more.

[anigbrowl]

18. Well we all know how big a factor that will be

It'll be this >< big.

I'm not going to suggest you should vote for Hillary but if you're still dreaming of some miracle scenario by which Bernie gets elected President then maybe it's time it's to take a step back from politics and ask yourself if you're following a realistic strategy..

[Luciferous]

30. I'm in Mississippi and they don't count write-in votes, so I guess I'll just stay home...

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. Tell us something we didn't already know.

[dana_b]

3. He said that he wouldn't do that

and I believe him. I don't know why so many think that he will.

[NurseJackie]

5. Has the "write-in" brigade appeared yet? If not, they should be arriving soon.

[SidDithers]

6. First reply...

Sid

[NurseJackie]

9. Thanks! I still haven't finished unignoring ...

... it's a pretty tedious task to get it all finished in one fell swoop. (It's easy to accumulate them day by day, week by week, month by month.)

[JimDandy]

38. The US should have *none* as a choice on our ballots.

Since we don't, as an election integrity activist, I am all for people utilizing other outlets, if there is not a candidate on the ballot that they can support in a race.

Currently, people who are faced with those kind of races have only 3 choices: not vote (worst choice); leave the race blank (second worst due to election fraud-workers/others having been caught filling in a blank race on a ballot with the candidate they supported) or write in a candidate (best choice). But writing-in a candidate is only available in 40 states and is encumbered by a myriad of non-uniform rules from state to state, so it is not a robust option.

Sadly, we are discussing this on a site that has an artificial constraint on voters' abilities to freely discuss utilizing the best option, the write-in, as an appropriate and legal mechanism to vote for their candidate of choice, currently because of the 'Bernie or Bust' movement that is promoting this method.

In reality, that constraint actually makes it never a good time to discuss this.

[HooptieWagon]

7. How can Clinton or Trump get on the ballot with a March deadline?

It sounds like your pulling your 'facts' out of thin air. It is true Bernie and the GOP nomination loser(s) can't get on the ballot as third party candidates in several states. But for candidates the ballot deadline is in the fall... Several conventions are in August.

[brooklynite]

13. Answer: they already have ballot access by virtue of prior vote-getting performance

The major Parties just have to notify the Secretaries of State (or other Election supervisor) of their Party choice.

[HooptieWagon]

21. Most state filing deadlines are in August.

https://ballotpedia.org/Filing_deadlines_and_signature_requirements_for_independent_presidential_candidates,_2016

OP's statement is false.

[CK_John]

24. If you see them on the ballot they are on the ballot now.

[HooptieWagon]

26. Ballot access deadlines vary by state, most are in Aug.

See link at my other post. You are incorrect that the GE deadline was March. In fact, earliest deadline is in Jume.

[JimDandy]

39. Thanks for posting the correct info. OPs should be required to correct false factual info

if they were made aware of their error.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

8. He was never going to do that, he made that very clear.

[Brother Buzz]

10. Two are many states?

South Dakota and Texes are the only two states that wouldn't allow Sanders on the ballot. And if you think about it, that's no great loss because I don't believe he would carry either state.

[onehandle]

15. Now that we are in the General Election, OPs like this are not helpful. nt

[John Poet]

22. I guess you're in a parallel universe where

the rest of the primaries scheduled through June 14 will not be held.

[peace13]

23. Aaa......did the primaries finish?

[grossproffit]

29. Looks like we're still in primary mode here.

[KingFlorez]

19. He'll cut a deal with Jill Stein to take the Green Party line

She'll basically already offered it to him with her open letter.

[onenote]

35. I doubt you'd be willing to put money on that prediction.

[John Poet]

20. The ONLY states with 'sore loser' laws which apply to

presidential candidates are Texas and South Dakota. That's IT.

Many states DO have such laws applying to most other offices, but not the presidency.


I have no idea about filing deadlines, however.

[MineralMan]

25. That's probably not true, but it's moot.

Bernie Sanders wouldn't do that. He has said so over and over again. It's not going to happen.

Some may write his name in. Their votes won't even be counted in most states. This is just another fantasy from people who simply can't stand that voters have decided that they want Hillary Clinton on the GE ballot.

Like most fantasies, it will fade in the light of the day before long. A tiny minority will sit out the election or do some symbolic thing like writing Sanders' name in. They won't matter. It's an important election and the two candidates will be very, very different from each other. Turnout will be extremely high. Probably even higher than 2008. It will be one of those elections everyone will remember voting in, just like 2008.

Hillary will win. She may well win in a landslide. That's sure what I'll be working toward, anyhow. She may flip a few red states in the process. She'll win every state Obama won. In fact, Obama will campaign strongly for her, and his popularity will help bring out the voters.

Peoples fantasies will not be how this election goes.

[R B Garr]

40. +1000. Great post. Once the GE candidates go through

even a couple media cycles, most people will unify naturally because of the sheer offensiveness of the GOP anti-liberal spin. It's already started with Trump saying Hillary has nothing going for her other than being a woman. That's already taken over the media just how idiotic that sounds.

I think you're right: Hillary will win in a landslide and only a small minority will sit out.

And TWO historic candidates since 2008. I do remember the night Obama won!! Cant wait until Nov. this year.

[warrprayer]

27. worry much?

[hrmjustin]

28. I always took Sanders at his word that he would never fo such a thing.

[djean111]

31. Bullshit. Why lie about it?

https://ballotpedia.org/Ballot_access_for_presidential_candidates

look halfway down - Petition signature requirements for independent presidential candidates, 2016. The earliest filing deadline, for three of the states, are in May and June. Most are July and August.

Isn't that Google thingy grand?

[Vogon_Glory]

32. Gee, I Hope So

Gee, I hope it's too late. As much as I admire Senator Sanders and his successful effort to steer the political conversation to the left of where the Rethuglies took it, I have bitter memories of the 2000 election and Ralph Nader's Indie run giving Dubya the White House.

Trump is far worse than even Shrub.

[onenote]

34. I don't know of any states that have a March deadline to get on the GE ballot

if they did, then there would be no Democrat or Republican on the GE ballot since the parties don't pick their nominees until July.

About a dozen states have GE ballot deadlines before the end of July (some in June, most in mid to late July). Another a dozen or so have deadlines by the first week of August. The rest, with a few exceptions, are in mid to late August.

[bigwillq]

37. Bernie should not run as an Indy

I would have been ok with him running as an Indy from the start, but he shouldn't now that he decided to run as a DEM.

[ericson00]

41. GOOD! That's why Hillary didn't destroy him early

we don't need another Nader

[actslikeacarrot]

42. Also, he said he wouldn't and we can take him...

...at his word. Man, a candidate with integrity!