(The Center Square) – In the latest attempt by Democrats to block third-party candidates from the Wisconsin ballot, a staffer filed a complaint against Green Party presidential candidate Dr. Jill Stein, arguing she is ineligible to run for president.
Deputy Operations Director of Wisconsin’s Democratic National Committee David Strange submitted the challenge this week, following a complaint he filed last week which challenged the nomination papers of the People’s Party presidential candidate Cornel West.
The complaint against Stein argued that because the Green Party did not nominate candidates for the Wisconsin Senate or Assembly by the Aug. 13 primaries, the party has no qualified presidential electors.
“WGP has no representative legally authorized to participate in the Presidential Electors Nomination Meeting on October 1, 2024, and thus, cannot nominate presidential electors,” the complaint reads. “As such, the Commission should exclude WGP’s ineligible and unqualified candidates from the ballot.”
Under Wisconsin election law, although the names of electors do not appear on the ballot, “a vote for the president and vice president named on the ballot is a vote for the electors of the candidates for whom an elector’s vote is cast.”
Recent swing state polls show many Democratic voters say they would be more likely to vote for a nominee who will pledge to withhold weapons from Israel. They also reported being more likely to vote for the Democratic nominee if Biden were to secure a ceasefire.
Stein, who has called the Israel-Hamas war a “genocide,” has criticized the Biden-Harris administration’s policies toward Israel, a weak spot in Harris’ campaign.
“The Biden-@KamalaHarris administration just handed Israel ANOTHER $20 BILLION in weapons and military equipment – barely a week after the LAST $3B in armaments was promised,” Stein posted to social media Friday. “The number one provocateur driving us towards a global conflict with nuclear weapons is Israel, and the current administration has just recommitted America to sponsoring their constant escalations.”
The DNC says its challenge to Stein’s candidacy is based purely on violations of Wisconsin election law.
“We take the nomination process for President and Vice President very seriously and believe every candidate should follow the rules,” said Adrienne Watson, a senior adviser to the DNC. “Because the Wisconsin Green Party hasn’t fielded candidates for legislative or statewide office and doesn’t have any current incumbent legislative or statewide office holders, it cannot nominate candidates and should not be on the ballot in November.”
The most recent national polls show Stein draws only 1% of the vote on the six-way presidential ballot.
