Libertarian Party of Virginia
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Libertarian Party of Virginia
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|---|---|
| Founded | 1971 |
| Ideology |
Libertarianism Classical liberalism Political freedom Liberal democracy Minarchism Non-interventionism Voluntaryism |
| National affiliation | Libertarian Party (United States) |
| Colors | a shade of Blue; Gold |
| Website | |
| www.lpva.com | |
Founded in 1971, the Libertarian Party of Virginia (LPVA) is the Virginia affiliate of the United States Libertarian Party. The current party Chairman is Bo Brown.
The Libertarian Party of Virginia's current Chairman is Bo Brown. The immediate past chairman was Bill Redpath, and the chairman before that was Chuck Moulton. The vice chair was Andy Bakker until he resigned on 24 March 2017. The secretary of the party is Jacqueline Passey Mason; her predecessor was Marc Montoni. The longtime treasurer is James Curtis.
These four officers, along with the party chairs for each of Virginia's eleven Congressional districts, comprise the State Central Committee (SCC) which meets quarterly or as needed. The SCC appropriates funds, endorses candidates, removes endorsements, adopts and amends bylaws, and disciplines LPVA members for misconduct. The maximum penalty allowed by the bylaws is expulsion.
The bylaws are vague about the process for nominating candidates. By tradition, the secretary first vets candidates and then, if she determines, based on their beliefs and personal histories, that they are suitable, calls a nominating convention. Candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney-General, and U.S. Senator are nominated by vote at a statewide convention. Candidates for U.S. Representative are nominated by a convention of their Congressional District. Candidates for delegate or state senator may be nominated by a convention of their congressional district or of the district they will be representing.
Virginia has one of the most restrictive ballot access laws in the United States.
According to the Code of Virginia subsection 24.2-101, without "major party" status for automatic ballot access in Virginia, the LPVA has had to gather petition signatures to get on the ballot. The requirement for statewide elections, such as the U.S. Senate, is 10,000 signatures, including at least 400 from each of Virginia's 11 congressional districts. However, after the Virginia Republican presidential primary in 2012, Virginia lawmakers reduced the 10,000 signature requirement for presidential candidates by half. Now, according to Code of Virginia § 24.2-543, a petition to put a third-party or independent candidate on the ballot for U.S. President "shall be signed by at least 5,000 qualified voters and include signatures of at least 200 qualified voters from each congressional district." Thus, this revision makes it easier for presidential candidates to obtain ballot access; yet, the law still remains as a barrier to entry for minor party candidates.
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