Nader To Fight 4 Ballot Denials

Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader suffered setbacks this week as election officials in Virginia, Maryland, Illinois and Missouri all denied him access to state ballots this fall.

In each case, officials said Nader campaign workers either did not submit enough valid signatures on ballot petitions or failed to follow proper procedures.

On Friday, Virginia's election board secretary, Jean Jensen, said Nader workers failed to meet state requirements that the signatures be grouped according to congressional district, and then by localities within each of the 11 districts.

"The State Board of Elections must apply the rules to all parties, and there was no reason to deviate from that policy," Jensen said.

The decision was a victory for John Kerry's campaign and for Virginia Democrats who believe even modest support for Nader could reduce Kerry's votes - and the party's chance of winning a presidential race in the state for the first time in 40 years.

Also Friday, Nader's supporters fell 500 signatures short of getting him on Maryland's ballot, as campaign officials said many who signed the petitions were not registered voters.

Nader was denied access to Missouri's ballot on Wednesday after the secretary of state said Nader supporters failed to submit enough valid signatures in the battleground state. On Thursday, the Illinois State Board of Elections voted not to certify Nader for the state's ballot after finding about 12,000 of the signatures he turned in were invalid.

Nader appeared on the ballot in all four states in 2000 when he ran on the Green Party ticket, gaining about 3 percent in Maryland and 2 percent in the others.

Nader spokesman Kevin Zeese said the candidate is contesting the decisions in all four states. He condemned "this really bizarre system in the United States where we have 50 different ballot access laws. They're really laws to keep people off the ballot and keep it a two-party system."

Across the nation, Democrats have filed legal challenges to Nader's efforts to gain access to state ballots, frustrating his supporters and draining his resources. They have already shut Nader off the Arizona ballot by uncovering irregularities in his petition signatures and are contesting his standing in Pennsylvania and elsewhere.

Nader has already met requirements to appear on ballots in 11 states and has filed petitions to appear on about 20 more. He is on track to appear on ballots in most of the battleground states where President Bush and Kerry are actively campaigning.