Libertarian Party Seeks Official Status

The Oklahoma Libertarian Party (OKLP) filed its “Notice of Intent to Form a New Political Party” with the Secretary of the State Election Board today.

This opens the way for the OKLP to begin collecting petition signatures to get the Libertarian Party officially recognized by the state of Oklahoma, which will allow the party to run candidates in the 2012 elections.

“We’re doing what Libertarians always do: Working to protect and expand individual rights and freedoms,” said Angelia O’Dell, OKLP Chair. “In this case, the right of Oklahomans to vote for candidates – particularly presidential candidates – of their choice.”

Oklahoma is regarded as having the most restrictive ballot access laws in the country, O'Dell said. These laws prevented Oklahomans from voting for anyone but a Republican or Democrat in the last two presidential elections. The last time any third party candidates were on an Oklahoma ballot was in 2000.

“Bills are regularly submitted in the legislature to make the current laws more rational and reasonable,” said OKLP Vice Chair Clark Duffe, “but the party leadership protects their turf like street gang capos and never lets these bills go anywhere. If they think we’ll fade into the background and leave them alone to continue their duopoly unchallenged, they’re greatly mistaken; The upcoming elections are too important to be left in the hands of the parties that got us into this mess, and which are clueless how to get us out.”

Any third party attempting to get on the 2012 ballot will have to gather some 51,739 valid signatures before the cut-off date of May 1, 2012.

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