Secretary of State Jan Brewer Announces Green Party Achieves New Political Party Status

Joins Republican, Democratic, and Libertarian Parties as Recognized Political Parties in Arizona for 2008 Election Cycle

PHOENIX -- Secretary of State Jan Brewer announced today that the Arizona Green Party has filed enough petition signatures to be recognized by the State of Arizona as a new political party for the fall 2008 elections. New parties are eligible for recognition and are represented by an official party ballot at the next regular Primary Election, which will be held on September 2, 2008. The Green Party will also be accorded a column on the official ballot at the General Election to be held on November 4, 2008.

“The last time a new statewide political party was added dates back to the 2000 election cycle,” stated Secretary of State Jan Brewer, “at that time Arizona had six different recognized political parties on the ballot.”

To achieve new party status, the Green Party had to file a minimum of 20,449 signatures of registered voters with the Secretary of State, as well as affidavits of 10 registered voters of Arizona , asking that the signers be recognized as a new political party.

The signature petitions were filed with the Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, La Paz , Maricopa, Mohave, Navajo, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz , Yavapai and Yuma County Recorders for verification before being submitted to the Secretary of State, as required by law. The Green Party filed 22,570 verified signatures with the Secretary of State on April 8, 2008.

The Green Party joins the Republican, Democratic, and Libertarian parties as recognized parties in Arizona . The 2008 nomination signature requirement for Green Party candidates is now available at the Secretary of State's website at www.azsos.gov .

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