[conspire] Presidential primary election notes revised

[Rick Moen]

Quoting my 2008 post to 'EVALS':

> In this way, [AIP remained] permanently on the California ballot and
> in the public's eye, even though they had nothing like the 1%
> registration statewide that's required to be _added_ to the ballot:
> State law requires that a returning party merely never fall below
> 1/15% of state registered voters in any subsequent general election,
> and accidental votes from morons helped Constitution Party stick
> around.

The above was wrong in details and pretty sloppy, so:  Exact rules here:
http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/political-parties/political-party-qualification/

To _qualify a political party in California, either:
a) Register with that party affiliation at least 0.33 percent of the
total number of registered voters by 154 days before an election, or
b) Submit by 135 days before he enlection petitions signed by registered
voters numbering at least 10% of votes cast in the most recent
gubernatorial election.

To remain qualified:
a) Retain registration equalling at least 1/15% of total state registration, and
b) Draw for at least one of the major statewide offices at least 
2% of the total state vote cast for that office during the 2014 
gubernatorial primary, or
c) Retain registration equalling at least 0.33% of the total registred
voters as of the 154th day before the primary election or the 123rd day
before the presidential general election.

http://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/ror/15day-presprim-2016/hist-reg-stats.pdf
says California had 17,915,053 registered voters a/o May 23, 2016.  (The
exact number a/o other dates will approximate that.)

http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-american-independent-voters-registration-20160520-snap-story.html
says that, after _LA Times's_ expose, California AIP suffered net loss
of 21,028 from its previous 473,481 voters, so it entered June's primary
with 452,453 registered members.

1/15% of 17,915,053 is:  11,943 voters
0.33% of 17,915,053 is:  59,716 voters

Anyway, it's pretty easy to qualify a small political party and even
easier to keep it qualified.  California AIP has no problem, there.