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Peace and Freedom

Website: http://www.peaceandfreedom.org

Founded: 1968
Highest Office Won: Mayor/City Council
Current Party Ranking: 6th largest of Six Qualified Parties in California
Current Voter Registration: 
0.39% of California's voters (76,021 registered voters as of 2/10/2017)

The Peace and Freedom Party is one of only two parties in California history to have gained "qualified status" twice. The Peace and Freedom Party, originally qualified in 1968, has run a number of candidates for other leftist organizations. Because of California election laws, it is virutally impossible for candidates from small political parties to get on the ballot without the nomination of one of California's qualified parties. The Peace and Freedom Party has served as the party of choice for candidates representing a variety of leftist causes including the Black Panthers, La Raza, and Socialist parties.

Disqualification and Return to the Ballot
The party faced a huge challenge when it was first disqualified in 1998. The cause for the 1998 disqualification was that no Peace and Freedom candidate received the required 2.0% of the vote. Two candidates, Jan B. Tucker for Treasurer (1.85%), Robert J. Evans for Attorney General (1.82%) came close, but fell short and the party was disqualified. After a massive voter registration drive, the party regained ballot status in 2003.

Challenges during the 2006 Election
Secretary of State Bruce McPherson announced in 2006 that the Peace and Freedom Party had been disqualified and would not be eligible to participate in the 2006 election. The decision was appealed on the grounds that although the party had fewer than the required number of registered voters, it hadn't actually failed the second criteria (having a statewide candidate receive 2% of the vote), and McPherson reversed his decision a few days later. By November 2006, the party still had just under 60,000 registered voters, but the party met the 2% requirement in two races; Elizabeth C. Barron for Controller (2.5%) and Tom Condit for Insurance Commissioner (2.2%).