Maine Libertarian Party Reaches Ballot Status

The Libertarian Party of Maine says it officially has enough signatures to become an official political party and have its presidential and vice presidential candidates appear on the November ballot.

Party chairman Chris Lyons, of Brunswick, said that on Tuesday afternoon, the Attorney General's office informed him the party has "comfortably exceeded" the 487 signatures it has needed to gather since May to reach a 5,000-signature threshold.

The national Libertarian Party's candidates are New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson for president and former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld for vice president.

The Libertarian Party of Maine was last an official political party in the early 1990s, though its presidential and vice presidential candidates also appeared on Maine's 2012 ballot as independents following a successful petition drive.

The Maine Secretary of State’s office says it will take time for towns across the state to add the registrations to the state’s central voter database, so confirmation of official status isn't expected until later in the week.