Third parties get boost from registration changes, Ventura's win

By OBI EZEKOYE
and LEIGH ZANETTI
Collegian Staff Writers

The triumph of Jesse "The Body" Ventura in the Minnesota gubernatorial elections running on the Reform ticket proved it's not impossible for a third-party candidate to succeed in a statewide election.

And even though it seems unlikely third parties will run as successfully in upcoming elections, changes are being made in the Pennsylvania's voter and party registration system -- changes third-party supporters hope will increase their exposure to the public.

Dennis Corman, a clerk at the Office of Elections and Voter Registration at the Willowbank Building in Bellefonte, said Centre County's system of documenting enrollment in less-popular political parties could be changed to include more detailed information about third-party registration.

"There are only a few parties that I can locate under this system," he said. "It's antiquated and we plan on replacing it with a new voter enrollment system."

The advent of a new voter enrollment system in Centre County will allow for greater recognition of third parties because it will provide more specific information about voters registered.

In Pennsylvania, eight distinct political parties exist. In addition to the Republican and Democratic parties, the Green, Constitutional, Libertarian, Reform, Socialist and National Law parties are represented in statewide elections.

Joyce McKinley, director of Elections and Voter Registration, said 30,467 voters in Centre County are registered Republican and 30,742 voters are registered Democrat in Centre County.

Of all the active statewide third parties in Centre County, she said the ones with the most substantial enrollments of voters include the Reform Party with 50, the Constitutional Party with 81 and the Libertarian Party with 387 voters registered. Of the 81,399 total voters registered in the Centre County voting district, 12,495 are enrolled as "others."

"Less-prevalent political parties are listed, grouped in a category of others," McKinley said.

She said the "other" category encompasses anything from voters registered as independents to voters registered under less-prevalent third parties such as the Green, Socialist and Natural Law parties.

"It's all based on how the state wants us to report enrollment," she said.

A common frustration of smaller political movements is under the current registration system, the parties are unable to monitor their enrollment.

Anne Goeke, a Pennsylvania Green Party delegate, said the grassroots structure of the organization makes it difficult to determine party enrollment at any time.

John Pronchik, Class of 1977, chair of the Natural Law Party of Pennsylvania, also expressed his frustration with current registration practices.

"Under the current system, it is very difficult for third parties to gain access to the system," he said.