Who is considered a Green Party candidate / officeholder – by state

This is a draft text that will explain how the criteria for who is a Green Party candidate and/or officeholder applies in each state. The draft text is in process and should not be considered definitive.

 

Alabama

Voter Registration: Alabama is not a voter registration-by-party state.

State and Federal office:

Alaska

Voter Registration: Alaska is a voter registration-by-party state.  The state government of Alaska tracks Green voter registrations.  The list is available for purchase from the Alaska Secretary of State.

Any registered Green Party member in Alaska who runs for office and/or serves in elected office qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

State and Federal office: These races are partisan. Candidates are listed by party.  Any candidate listed as a Green is a registered Green and thereby qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

Municipal, school board, county and other local offices:  These races are non-partisan. If a registered Green runs for a non-partisan office, they qualify to be listed in the Elections Database. To identify Greens running for non-partisan office, the list of candidates for these offices should be compared to the list of registered Greens.

Affiliation: The Green Party of Alaska is not currently affiliated with the Green Party of the United States.  It was affiliated between 2001 and 2020.

Arizona

Voter Registration: Arizona is a voter registration-by-party state.

Any registered Green Party member in Arizona who runs for office and/or serves in elected office qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

State and Federal office: These races are partisan. Candidates are listed by party.  Any candidate listed as a Green is a registered Green and thereby qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.  If the Green Party does not have ballot status, it may run candidates as official write-ins.  Any write-in candidate who is a registered Green qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database

Municipal, school board, county and other local offices:  These races are non-partisan. If a registered Green runs for a non-partisan office, they qualify to be listed in the Elections Database. To identify Greens running for non-partisan office, the list of candidates for these offices should be compared to the list of registered Greens.

Affiliation: The Arizona Green Party is affiliated with the Green Party of the United States.  It was affiliated as one of the founding GPUS parties in 2001 and remains affiliated.

 

Arkansas

Voter Registration: Arkansas is a voter registration-by-party state.

Any registered Green Party member in Arkansas who runs for office and/or serves in elected office qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

State and Federal office:

California

Voter registration: California is a voter registration-by-party state. One can register to vote with any of the ballot status parties, with a non-ballot status party and/or there is also a non-affiliated-with-a-party registration option called No Party Preference (NPP) .

The Green Party of California is a ballot qualified state party. The state of California maintains a publicly available list of registered Greens.

Any registered Green Party member in California who runs for office and/or serves in elected office qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

State and Federal office: All state and federal elections in California are partisan.  Any candidate who is registered with a ballot-status party will have their party affiliation on the ballot next to their name.  Candidates running in state and federal elections who are registered with a non-ballot status party or registered NPP will not have a party affiliation listed next to their name. Instead it will say ‘No Party Preference’.

After the ballot qualification period has concluded, the list of ballot-qualified candidates is certified by the Secretary of State. All Greens on that list are included in the Database. For primary elections only, there is a later period to file an official write-in candidate.  Once certified, these Green candidates would also be included in the Database.

All other elections in California are officially non-partisan – be they for county, city, education or special district office.  For these offices, there is no party label listed next to the name of any candidate.  To identify Greens running in these races, it is necessary to compare the most current list of registered Greens with the lists of all candidates running.  These candidate lists are provided by the county registrar of voters (except in a very small number of cases, by the city in which the election is held.)

Green Party of California bylaws also provide for non-citizens to be considered party members, if they are approved by their county Green Party under procedures described in that county party’s bylaws.  However non-citizens can not run for most offices in California, as one has to be a registered voter to run for almost all public offices.  An exception is for Neighborhood Councils in Los Angeles, where candidates need not be US citizens nor legal residents to qualify.

The Green Party of California is a ballot qualified state party and is affiliated with the Green Party of the United States as an accredited state party.

Colorado

Voter Registration: Colorado is a voter registration-by-party state.

Any registered Green Party member in Colorado who runs for office and/or serves in elected office qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

State and Federal office:

The Green Party of Colorado is a ballot qualified state party. The Green Party of Colorado is affiliated with the Green Party of the United States as an accredited state party.

Connecticut

Voter Registration: Connecticut is a voter registration-by-party state.

Any registered Green Party member in Connecticut who runs for office and/or serves in elected office qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

State and Federal office:

The Green Party of Connecticut is a ballot qualified state party. The Green Party of Connecticut is affiliated with the Green Party of the United States as an accredited state party.

Delaware

Voter Registration: Delaware is a voter registration-by-party state.

Any registered Green Party member in Delaware who runs for office and/or serves in elected office qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

State and Federal office: These races are partisan. Candidates are listed by party.  Any candidate listed as a Green is a registered Green and qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

Municipal, school board, county and other local offices:  These races are non-partisan. If a registered Green runs for a non-partisan office, they qualify to be listed in the Elections Database. To identify Greens running for non-partisan office, the list of candidates for these offices should be compared to the list of registered Greens.

State party affiliation: The Green Party of Delaware is a ballot qualified state party. The Green Party of Delaware is affiliated with the Green Party of the United States as an accredited state party.

District of Colombia

Voter Registration: The District of Colombia is a voter registration-by-party state.

Any registered Green Party member in the District of Colombia who runs for office and/or serves in elected office qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

State and Federal office:

All races are partisan in the District of Colombia, with the exception of Advisory Neighborhood Council (ANC), which are non-partisan.  All partisan races are posted by the D.C. Department of Elections, with Green next to the candidate’s name.

To identify all Greens running for ANC, it is necessary to compare the most current list of registered Greens with the lists of ANC candidates.

The D.C. Statehood Green Party is a ballot qualified state party. The D.C. Statehood Green Party is affiliated with the Green Party of the United States as an accredited state party.

Florida

Voter Registration: Florida is a voter registration-by-party state.

Any registered Green Party member in Florida who runs for office and/or serves in elected office qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

State and Federal office: These races are partisan. Candidates are listed by party.  Any candidate listed as a Green is a registered Green and qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

Municipal, school board, county and other local offices:  These races are non-partisan. If a registered Green runs for a non-partisan office, they qualify to be listed in the Elections Database. To identify Greens running for non-partisan office, the list of candidates for these offices should be compared to the list of registered Greens.

The Green Party of Florida is a ballot qualified state party. The Green Party of Florida is affiliated with the Green Party of the United States as an accredited state party

Georgia

Voter Registration: Georgia is not a voter registration-by-party state.

State and Federal office:

Hawaii

Voter Registration: Hawaii is not a voter registration-by-party state.

State and Federal office:

On the nomination paper, candidates sign a sworn certification by self-subscribing oath that they are a member of the party. This requirement is in Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 12-3 (a)(7) (http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol01_Ch0001-0042F/HRS0012/HRS_0012-0003.htm).

An officer of a political party may file an objection to a candidate’s nomination paper with the circuit court. The nomination paper objection process is outlined in Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 12-8 (http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol01_Ch0001-0042F/HRS0012/HRS_0012-0008.htm).

 

Idaho

Voter Registration: Idaho is a voter registration-by-party state.

Any registered Green Party member in Idaho who runs for office and/or serves in elected office qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

State and Federal office:

Illinois

Voter Registration: Illinois is not a voter registration-by-party state.

State and Federal office:

Indiana

Voter Registration: Indiana is not a voter registration-by-party state.

State and Federal office:

Iowa

Voter Registration: Iowa is a voter registration-by-party state.

Any registered Green Party member in Iowa who runs for office and/or serves in elected office qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

State and Federal office:

Kansas

Voter Registration: Kansas is a voter registration-by-party state.

Any registered Green Party member in Kansas who runs for office and/or serves in elected office qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

State and Federal office:

Kentucky

Voter Registration: Kentucky is a voter registration-by-party state.

Any registered Green Party member in Kentucky who runs for office and/or serves in elected office qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

State and Federal office:

Louisiana

Voter Registration: Louisiana is a voter registration-by-party state.

State and Federal office:

Any registered Green Party member in Louisiana who runs for office and/or serves in elected office qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

The Green Party of Louisiana is a ballot qualified state party. The Green Party of Louisiana is affiliated with the Green Party of the United States as an accredited state party.

Maine

Voter Registration: Maine is a voter registration-by-party state.

Any registered Green Party member in Maine who runs for office and/or serves in elected office qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

State and Federal office: These races are partisan. Candidates are listed by party.  Any candidate listed as a Green is a registered Green and qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

Municipal, school board, county and other local offices:  These races are non-partisan. If a registered Green runs for a non-partisan office, they qualify to be listed in the Elections Database. To identify Greens running for non-partisan office, the list of candidates for these offices can be compared to the list of registered Greens.

The Maine Green Independent Party is a ballot qualified state party. The Maine Green Independent Party is affiliated with the Green Party of the United States as an accredited state party.

Maryland

Voter Registration: Maryland is a voter registration-by-party state.

Any registered Green Party member in Maine who runs for office and/or serves in elected office qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

State and Federal office:

Massachusetts

Voter Registration: Massachusetts is a voter registration-by-party state.

Any registered Green Party member in Maine who runs for office and/or serves in elected office qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

State and Federal office: These races are partisan. Candidates are listed by party.  Any candidate listed as a Green is a registered Green and qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

Municipal, school board, county and other local offices:  These races are non-partisan. If a registered Green runs for a non-partisan office, they qualify to be listed in the Elections Database. To identify Greens running for non-partisan office, the list of candidates for these offices should be compared to the list of registered Greens.

Michigan

Voter Registration: Michigan is not a voter registration-by-party state.

Ballot Status:  The Green Party of Michigan is considered a WHAT party.

State and Federal office:  Michigan state law requires the Green Party to nominate by state party convention or caucus and not by primary (at least until/unless a top-of-ticket statewide candidate gets 5% or more of the vote total of the latest winning candidate for Secretary of State) is MCL 168.686a:

http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?mcl-168-686a

Subsection (1) lists the basic requirement.  Subsection (4) requires the Green Party to file nomination paperwork from the state convention by the end of the first business day after the convention ends.  The same next-business-day requirement applies to county caucuses per subsection (2).

County and Municipal Office:

Minnesota

Voter Registration: Minnesota is not a voter registration-by-party state.

State and Federal office:

Mississippi

Voter Registration: Mississippi is not a voter registration-by-party state.

State and Federal office:

Missouri

Voter Registration: Missouri is not a voter registration-by-party state.

Any member of the Missouri Green Party who runs for office and/or serves in elected office qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.  Membership in the Missouri Green Party is defined in its bylaws.

State and Federal office: These races are partisan. Candidates are listed by party.  Members of the Missouri Green Party who run for these offices qualify to be listed in the Elections Database.

When the Green Party has pre-existing ballot status – either statewide, or only for individual districts or counties – there is a Green Party nominating primary (Section 115.317 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri).  The winner of the Green Party primary is considered the party’s General Election nominee However, non-Missouri Green Party members may also appear on the Green Party primary ballot. If they  win the Green Party primary, they would appear on the general election ballot as the Green Party candidate.  However since they would not be a Missouri Green Party member, they would not qualify to be listed in the Elections Database, neither as a candidate in the Primary nor the General Election.

County offices:  County elections are partisan, for county prosecutors, commissioners, clerks, sheriffs and other county offices. Members of the Missouri Green Party who run for these offices qualify to be listed in the Elections Database. Similarly as above, a non-Green Party member may run in the Green Primary and possibly advance to the General Election, but would not qualify to be listed in the Elections Database.

Municipal, school board and other local offices:  These races are generally non-partisan. Members of the Missouri Green Party who run for these offices qualify to be listed in the Elections Database.

In some places (like the City of St Louis), local elections are partisan (It is possible to check with local elections here https://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/goVoteMissouri/localelectionauthority.) In these cases members of the Missouri Green Party who run for these offices qualify to be listed in the Elections Database and non-members do not, even if they appear on the ballot with a Green Party ballot line.

Ballot Status: Under Section 115.317 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri, a party that does not already have ballot status can petition for ballot access. Obtaining 10,000 valid signatures gives the party the right to run candidates for any office in the state. Candidate names are submitted at the same time as the petitions and are automatically on the November ballot if the petitions are successfully validated, without a primary. Then if any district or county candidates receives 2% or more in the General Election, that district gains ballot access for the next four years.  If any candidate receives 2% for a statewide race (Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Auditor, State Treasurer, US Senate, or President), that ensures statewide ballot access for all partisan offices in the state for the next four years.

A Missouri Green Party member could run in a partisan race as an independent, where the party does not have ballot status? But the signature threshold to qualify for the ballot is the same number as to form a party and run multiple candidates for any and all offices. So it would be unlikely for a  party member and their supporters to take that tack.

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Montana

Voter Registration: Montana is not a voter registration-by-party state.

State and Federal office:

Nebraska

Voter Registration: Nebraska is a voter registration-by-party state.

Any registered Green Party member in Nebraska who runs for office and/or serves in elected office qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

State and Federal office:

Nevada

Voter Registration: Nevada is a voter registration-by-party state.

Any registered Green Party member in Nevada who runs for office and/or serves in elected office qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

State and Federal office:

The Green Party of Nevada is not a ballot qualified state party. The Green Party of Nevada is affiliated with the Green Party of the United States as an accredited state party.

New Hampshire

Voter Registration: New Hampshire is a voter registration-by-party state.

State and Federal office:

New Jersey

Voter Registration: New Jersey is a voter registration-by-party state.

Any registered Green Party member in New Jersey who runs for office and/or serves in elected office qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

State and Federal office:

The Green Party of New Jersey is a ballot qualified state party. The Green Party of New Jersey is affiliated with the Green Party of the United States as an accredited state party.

New Mexico

Voter Registration: New Mexico is a voter registration-by-party state.

Any registered Green Party member in New Mexico who runs for office and/or serves in elected office qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

State and Federal office:

In New Mexico, regular local elections (§1-22-3(B)) and judicial retention elections (§1-26-2(A)) are non-partisan.  County, state, and federal elections are partisan.

The Green Party of New Mexico is a ballot qualified state party. The Green Party of New Mexico is affiliated with the Green Party of the United States as an accredited state party.

New York

Voter Registration: New York is a voter registration-by-party state.  The State of New York maintains a publicly available list of enrolled (registered) Greens. 

Any enrolled (registered) Green Party member in New York who runs for office and/or serves in elected office qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

State and Federal office: All state and federal elections in New York are partisan.

When the Green Party has had ballot status in New York (1998-2002, 2010-2021), an enrolled Green could collect the required number of signatures from registered Green voters and appear on the ballot for state or federal office as a Green Party candidate.  They would be included in the Elections Database.

Under New York’s fusion law, such an enrolled Green could have a Green Party ballot line and the ballot line of another ballot qualified party.  In practice this never has occurred for state or federal office. But if it did, the candidate would be included in the Elections Database and the number of votes the candidate got on each ballot line would included.

Under New York election law, any candidate from any party (or from no party) could also collect the required number of signatures from registered Green voters and appear on the ballot as a Green Party candidate.  These non-enrolled Greens would not be included in the Elections Database, even if they won a contested primary vs. an enrolled Green for the same office.

When the Green Party has not had ballot status in New York (1994-1998, 2002-2010, 2021 to the present), an enrolled Green could still collect the required number of signatures from registered Green voters and appear on the ballot for state or federal office as a Green Party candidate.  WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN THE NUMBER OF SIGNATURES BETWEEN WHEN THE PARTY HAS BALLOT STATUS AND WHEN IT DOES NOT.  They would be included in the Elections Database.

Also when the Green Party has not had ballot status in New York,  a  candidate from any party or no party could be listed as a Green if they collect the required number of signatures of voters of any or no party affiliation who have NOT already signed petitions for other candidate running for the same office, and list themself as a Green candidate This requires many more signatures than when the Green Party had state ballot access, so it is far less likely to occur. In any case, the non-enrolled Greens would not be included in the Elections Database.
“Is there a fusion option in your state?” Yes.
“Can a Green have a Green ballot line and another ballot line?”  Yes.
“Can a Green gain the ballot line of another ballot-qualified parties, even when not having a Green ballot line themself?” Yes.
“If the Green Party does not have ballot status, can a candidate petition onto the ballot and have Green Party next to their name?” Yes.
“Can a non-Green Party member have a Green ballot line, either with or without the support of the Green Party?” Yes.
“Please explain “
Currently without ballot access, the candidate from any party or no party could be listed as a Green if they collect the required number of signatures of voters of any or no party affiliation who have NOT already signed petitions for other candidate running for the same office, and list themself as a Green candidate if they so wish.

Elections for city and town  offices are partisan.

County and city are partisan.

Village elections are partisan, but candidates can’t use the labels of parties that have ballot status.  So when the Green Party had ballot status in New York, Greens running in villages could not use ‘Green Party’ as their ballot label.  But whe the Greenn Party did not have ballot stauts, enrolled Greens can (and have) runn as Greens on the village ballot.

They give themselves local labels (which are ofter synonyms for the real Democrats and Republicans, but not always — sometimes they reflect factions built around family or personal feuds).

 

“I”s it possible in a partisan race for a Green Party member in your state to run without a party label, say as an independent, even if they are truly a member of your party under your party rules and/or the rules of the state”
Yes
In New York State, non-partisan elections are mostly, if not entirely, held at the Village level.
A few years ago I asked the counsel for the New York Conference of Mayors if they had a list of which Village elections were partisan or non-partisan. His response was no, there were so many villages changing from one form to another that it wasn’t worth their time to track them.

Most school board elections are nonpartisan. Some are partisan, e.g., Syracuse and Rochester.

School board and small villages are non-partisan (candidates make up their own party names)

WhSo when Jason West and Rebecca Rotzler were elected in the village of New Paltz in 2003 when the Greens didn’t have statewide ballot status, they ran as Greens on the village ballot. The couldn’t have done that between 2011 and 2020 when we had ballot status and would have had to choose a non-ballot status party name. But it was clearly the Democrats under village party labels that fought to keep the Greens off the village board — everybody knew that.

 

“Is there an official governmental link that breaks down which races are partisan and which not in your state? Or a link to a government code that sets out which races are partisan and which are not?  Is there some other source that has this information?
••• State and Federal office? “
Good question. This one has me stumped. I just called the NYS Board of Elections and was told that the first available counsel would call me back with an answer. Stay tuned! When I get a response, I will write again.
“In most cases, state and federal offices are partisan, in that the party name is next to the candidate on the ballot. But who can have ‘Green’ or ‘Green Party next to their name on the ballot?
In your state, who can have ‘Green’ or ‘Green Party’ next to their name on the ballot?”
“Only Green Party members?” No. See above.
“Others?” Yes. See above.
“Is there a fusion option in your state?” Yes.
“Can a Green have a Green ballot line and another ballot line?”  Yes.
“Can a Green gain the ballot line of another ballot-qualified parties, even when not having a Green ballot line themself?” Yes.
“If the Green Party does not have ballot status, can a candidate petition onto the ballot and have Green Party next to their name?” Yes.
“Can a Green have the ballot line of a non-ballot qualified party other than the Green Party?” Yes. Now that GP does not have ballot access in NY, a voter registered as ‘Other-Green’ in NY could run as the candidate for another non-ballot-line party, but if so, they cannot run as Green too. In NYS a candidate can only run on ONE party that lacks automatic ballot access. Recent example: Joe Wetmore, registered Green voter and GPNY State Comm member, who in 2021ran as a Dem and ballot-access-less Lighthouse, and not Green at all, in the Town of Lansing election for Town Council.

The Green Party of New York is not a ballot qualified state party. It was a ballot-qualified state party between November 1998 and

The Green Party of New York  is affiliated with the Green Party of the United States as an accredited state party.

North Carolina

Voter Registration: North Carolina is a voter registration-by-party state.

Any registered Green Party member in North Carolina who runs for office and/or serves in elected office qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

State and Federal office:

North Dakota

Voter Registration: North Dakota is not a voter registration-by-party state.

State and Federal office:

Ohio

Voter Registration: Ohio is not a voter registration-by-party state.

State and Federal office:

Oklahoma

Voter Registration: Oklahoma is a voter registration-by-party state.

State and Federal office:

Oregon

Voter Registration: Oregon is a voter registration-by-party state.

Any registered Green Party member in Oregon who runs for office and/or serves in elected office qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

State and Federal office:

Pennsylvania

Voter Registration: Pennsylvania is a voter registration-by-party state.

Any registered Green Party member in Pennsylvania who runs for office and/or serves in elected office qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

State and Federal office:

Rhode Island

Voter Registration: Rhode Island is a voter registration-by-party state.  But one can only register in a party that has ballot status.

State and Federal office:

South Carolina

Voter Registration: South Carolina is not a voter registration-by-party state.

State and Federal office:

South Dakota

Voter Registration: South Dakota is a voter registration-by-party state.

State and Federal office:

Tennessee

Voter Registration: Tennessee is not a voter registration-by-party state.

State and Federal office:

Texas

Voter Registration: Texas is not a voter registration-by-party state. However the Texas state elections code defines party membership as someone who takes an oath, as explained in this 2020 advisory opinion from the state Director of Elections:

How does party affiliation work in Texas?

In Texas, there are several main ways for a voter to affiliate with a party: by being accepted to vote in a party’s primary election, by taking the required oath at a party precinct convention, or by taking a party oath of affiliation generally (§§162.003, 162.006, 162.007). A voter’s affiliation with a party automatically expires at the end of each calendar year, which is December 31. (§162.010). A voter who has affiliated themselves with a party is ineligible to participate in the party affairs of another party during the same calendar year. (§§162.012, 162.013)

State and Federal office: These races are partisan. Candidates are listed by party.  Any candidate who takes an oath

listed as a Green is a registered Green and thereby qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

 

 

In a non-registration-by-party state like TX, it would default to who is a GPTX member.

GPTX Bylaws state
Section 3:
Membership is open to any person who supports the Party and who

is in general agreement with the following 10 Key Values: Ecological Wisdom, Social Justice, Grassroots Democracy, Nonviolence, Decentralization, Community-based Economics, Feminist Values, Respect for Diversity, Personal and Global Responsibility, and Future Focus, and

  1. Commits to participate in a respectful manner and cooperate with conflict resolution.Section 4:

Membership with an affiliated county party or affiliated local party group shall be no more restrictive than the requirements for membership with the GPTX, except that county parties or local groups may limit voting privileges to those members who have achieved a minimum level of participation decided by the County parties or local groups, consistent with the Texas Election Code (Chapter 162).

Utah

Voter Registration: Utah is a voter registration-by-party state.

Any registered Green Party member in Utah who runs for office and/or serves in elected office qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

State and Federal office:

Vermont

Voter Registration: Vermont is not a voter registration-by-party state.

State and Federal office:

Virginia

Voter Registration: Virginia is not a voter registration-by-party state.

State and Federal office:

Washington

Voter Registration: Washington is not a voter registration-by-party state.

State and Federal office:

West Virginia

Voter Registration: West Virginia is a voter registration-by-party state.

Any registered Green Party member in West Virginia who runs for office and/or serves in elected office qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

State and Federal office:

Wisconsin

Voter Registration: Wisconsin is not a voter registration-by-party state.

State and Federal office:

Wyoming

Voter Registration: Wyoming is a voter registration-by-party state.

Any registered Green Party member in Wyoming who runs for office and/or serves in elected office qualifies to be listed in the Elections Database.

State and Federal office: