Tracey Ryan
The Hawaii Libertarian Party met the vote test for the first time in its history, and have retained ballot access through 2016.
In Hawaii, if all of a political party’s candidates running for the state Senate get at least 4 percent of the cumulative vote, or if all of the party’s candidates running for state representative receive at least 2 percent of the cumulative vote, the party retains ballot access for the next general cycle.
The state party met both thresholds in the recent midterm election, the first time an alternative party has retained party status using either of these vote tests. Previously, the party had attained ballot access by petitioning.
“The Libertarian Party of Hawaii was happy to be able to achieve greater levels of funding, of volunteers, and in numbers of candidates, than ever before in 2014,” Ryan said. “It appears the vote totals when all added up were the highest in the state party’s history and allowed it to achieve ballot access by vote and avoid a signature drive.”
The Hawaii LP ran the most candidates for an election in its history, placing 17 candidates on the ballot.
