Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch will not appeal a federal judge's ruling that threw out part of the state's laws on how new parties get on the state ballot, Lynch's office said Wednesday afternoon.

Board of Elections Chairman John A. Daluz said he expected his board would follow the attorney general's lead in the matter, possibly at a special meeting.

"I'm sure that's the way we'll go," Daluz said.

Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis announced within days of the ruling that he would not seek an appeal.

Kenneth Block, the founder of the Moderate Party of Rhode Island, the plaintiff in the case, called the decision and the prediction by Daluz "awesome."

On May 29, U.S. District Judge William E. Smith struck down the part of Rhode Island election law that said new political parties had to wait until Jan. 1 of an election year to begin collecting the signatures they need to get on the statewide ballot.

He let stand the part of the law that said the new party must collect valid signatures equal to at least 5 percent of the turnout in the previous statewide election.

"Judge Smith's decision provides both the state and new political parties with guidelines to obtain access to Rhode Island ballots," Lynch said. "While it upholds the state's right to require a minimum number of signatures to ensure the legitimacy of a new party, it eases rules for a party to comply with the requirement to place individual on the statewide ballot."

 Tags  ACLU Moderate Party of Rhode Island Patrick Lynch

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