Fight Over Tea Party Name Escalates In Mich.
A battle over the Tea Party name in Michigan is escalating. A state elections board heard testimony Friday related to a group that calls itself the Tea Party and wants to put candidates on the November ballot.
But most Tea Party groups across Michigan say they don't support having a separate Tea Party on the ballot.
They argue the effort to make the ballot is a sham aimed at confusing voters and siphoning away votes from other candidates.
The group seeking to get on the ballot has submitted about 59,000 signatures to state elections officials. Opponents will have until Aug. 17 to challenge those signatures and try to keep the Tea Party name off the ballot.
It's not known how many candidates the Tea Party group may seek to put on the ballot but it must do so by Aug. 3.
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