Barr In Oklahoma City to Announce Ballot Access Lawsuit

Today (July 15, 2008) Bob Barr held a press conference at 2:30pm central in the Rotunda of the Oklahoma Capitol building to announce that he was filing a lawsuit to gain access challenge the Oklahoma ballot. He released the following statement:

One of the most essential components of democratic elections in the United States is the choice among a slate of candidates, which creates the competition among candidates for a political office. Without choice, voters are left with few--if any--options in selecting their political leaders. Unfortunately in Oklahoma, ballot access laws are so strict that it disallows many well-qualified candidates from participating in the elections. The end result is elections with little choice and little competition, chilling the democratic process and hurting the citizens of Oklahoma.

In 2004, the rigid ballot access laws in Oklahoma made it the only state in the nation with only two choices for president. If voters liked neither George Bush nor John Kerry, they had no other options from which to choose. This is not how democracy is supposed to work, and its impact resonates well beyond the borders of the state.

Should a state refuse a national candidate the right to be placed on the ballot, it artificially manipulates the candidate's election totals at a national level. This is not just a state issue, but an issue that affects voters across the nation. Every vote denied by a state is an assault on the very underpinnings of democracy in the United States.