While Democrats regularly complain Republicans are engaged in “voter suppression,” Montana Democrats have succeeded in removing the Green Party’s nominees from the statewide ballot.
They obtained a ruling from the state Supreme Court that could impact the tight U.S. Senate race between Republican Sen. Steve Daines and sitting Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock, reported Fox News, noting it’s one of several that could determine control of the U.S. Senate.
Green Party representatives said the ruling came after massive pressure was put on people who had already given valid signatures for a petition for Green Party access.
Democrats have claimed Republicans funded the Green Party petition to put their candidates on the ballot in an attempt to divert support from Democrats. Democrats said they got 500 petition signers to “recant” their names on the petitions.
Green Party officials said in a statement: “The Green Party denounces any effort to harass, intimidate or shame private citizens who signed a ballot access petition for any party or candidate. Our candidates have faced that kind of political bigotry for decades but employing it against regular citizens on this scale marks a new, shameful low.”
The Green Party said it wasn’t involved in the petition to get its candidates on the ballot. But even so, the decision to withdraw their names left the party short of enough names, and the state party defended its participation in the election.
“There was a great deal of pressure applied to [petition signers] to get them to withdraw their signatures. Multiple phone calls with strong language, and repeated letters,” local Montana Green Party candidate Gary Marbut, who is running for state Senate but is not competing in the U.S. Senate race, told Fox News.
The state said it is taking the matter immediately to the U.S. Supreme Court because of the significance of listing candidates on the ballot.
Fox News reported, “The parties are fighting over the Green Party’s ballot access because the Montana Senate race this November may determine control of the Senate – and politicos think that the Green Party could be a ‘spoiler’ that draws votes away from Democrats.”
Such battles are not new in Montana. Fox News reported that in 2012, supporters of Democrat Jon Tester spent $500,000 supporting the Libertarian Party candidate hoping he would draw votes away from the Republican.
An elderly couple withdrew their signatures for the Greens participation after the 20th call they received. The Democratic Party even had a third-party notary come to their house to take their withdrawal.
Michael O’Neil, a Green Party spokesman, said: “The Green Party wishes for the valid petition submitted in Montana to stand and for Green Party candidates, including presidential nominee Howie Hawkins … to appear on the Montana ballot. Candidate suppression is a form of voter suppression and, by that measure, Democratic Party leaders are as guilty as anyone of voter suppression in this century.”
Marbut said, “I’m only mildly surprised at this extreme effort by Democrats to be undemocratic.”
Meanwhile, President Trump has introduced a series of plans, including deployment of law enforcement officers, to fight electoral fraud, the Daily Wire reported.
He criticized Democrats’ demands for universal mail-in voting, contending it’s “going to be the greatest scam in history.”
At least one election already is scheduled for a re-do because of problems with the mail-in voting.
