1994: The Maine Green Party qualified for statewide ballot status in November, 1994
Jonathan Carter received 6.4% and 32,695 votes for Governor, sufficient to qualify the Maine Green Party for the ballot.
In Maine in 1994, the criteria for qualification for statewide ballot status was to receive 5% or more every two years in the gubernatorial and the presidential race.
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Ralph Nader/Winona LaDuke received 2.5% and 15,279 votes for President. This 2.5% was not sufficient to surpass the 5% threshold necessary for the Maine Green Party to retain ballot status.The Maine Green Party appealed the Secretary of State’s ruling to the District 1 Federal Court. They contested the Maine Secretary of State’s ruling that a party must receive 5% every two years to remain on the ballot – in both the gubernatorial and presidential elections – not just every four years at the state elections. The Judge sent the case to the State Supreme Court to clarify Maine law.
In August 1997, the Maine Supreme Court ruled unanimously in support of the Secretary of State’s ruling. The Maine Greens lost ballot status and their approximately 3,600 voter registrations at the time.
1998: The Maine Green Independent Party qualified for statewide ballot status in November 1998
Pat LaMarche received 6.8% and 28,722 votes for Governor. The 6.8% surpassed the 5% required to qualify the Maine Green Independent Party for the ballot.
In 1999, the Maine legislature approved LD 639, which changed from two to four years, the number of years a party was granted ballot status after receiving at least 5% for either Governor or President. This change was the product of a great deal of lobbying by Maine Greens, led by Nancy Allen and John Rensenbrink.
2000: The Maine Green Independent Party retained statewide ballot status in November 2000
Ralph Nader/Winona LaDuke received 5.7% and 37,127 votes for president. The 5.7% surpassed the 5% required for the Maine Green Independent Party to retain ballot status. Even though the party already had ballot status through 2002, the 5.7% extended their status through 2004.
2002: The Maine Green Independent Party retained statewide ballot status in November 2002
Jonathan Carter received 9.3% and 46,903 votes for Governor. The 9.3% surpassed the 5% required for the Maine Green Independent Party to retain ballot status.
Even though the party already had ballot status through 2004, the 9.3% extended their status through 2006.
2004: The Maine Green Independent Party failed to extend statewide ballot status in November 2004
David Cobb/Pat LaMarche received 0.4% and 2,936 votes for president. The 0.4% did not surpass the 5% required for the Maine Green Independent Party to extend ballot status. Therefore the party simply retained status through 2006, as it had already achieved in 2002.
2006: The Maine Green Independent Party retained statewide ballot status in November 2006
Pat LaMarche received 9.6% and 52,690 votes for Governor.
The 9.6% surpassed the 5% required for the Maine Green Independent Party to retain ballot status, extending through 2010.
2008: The Maine Green Independent Party failed to extend statewide ballot status in November 2008
Cynthia McKinney/ Rosa Clemente received 0.4% and 2,900 votes for president. The 0.4% did not surpass the 5% required for the Maine Green Independent Party to extend ballot status. Therefore the party simply retained status through 2010, as it had already achieved in 2006.
Then on June 17th, 2009, Maine Governor John Balducci signed HB 1041, which eliminated the 5% vote test for a party to stay on the ballot and instead established that a party stays on the ballot if it has 10,000 registrants who voted in the last statewide general election.
As of November 2009, the Green Party had 32,483 registrants, three-fourths of whom historically vote in November.
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