How to be a Green Party Candidate

We ask that all of our candidates adopt the Ten Key Values of the Green Party. The Policies/Positions page provides some details of our stands on issues. If you want to become a candidate for the Green Party of Arkansas (GPA) in 2008, here are the steps that must be taken. First, choose what office you are interested in. For more information, see the Candidate Tool Box (below).

County or Local (County Judge/Administrator, Justice of the Peace (Quorum Court), Sheriff, Constable, County Clerk, County Assessor/Collector, Prosecuting Attorney, and Municipal offices that have partisan elections)

State (Representative or Senator in the Arkansas General Assembly) (See Candidate Tool Box at the bottom of the page)

Federal (U.S. Senator or U.S. Representative in Congress)

This year, the Green Party of Arkansas will have two sessions of its nominating convention, one for federal offices, and one for state offices. The Federal Session of the Nominating Convention will be noon, April 12, 2008, in Little Rock at Vino's (7th & Chester St.). The date for the State session is tentatively set for June 21, 2008. Any county that forms a county committee on or before the convention date will be able to seat two delegates at the convention.

County or Local

If the office you are seeking is a county or local office, you must first find out if there is a Green Party Committee in the county. Counties which have formed committees will be listed at the bottom of the State Contacts page (click here).

If there is an existing county committee, contact the people listed as the members of the County Committee, and ask them their procedures for nominating candidates for the office that you seek.

The county committee may charge a fee, typically $100 to run for office.

If there is no County Political Party Committee yet formed in the county where you are seeking local office, contact the GPA state Executive Committee (Coordinator - Mark Jenkins 501-666-0620) and tell them that you wish to run for a county office and that there is no County Committee in that county.

The State Committee of the GPA will help to create a County Committee in that county. Instructions and forms for organizing a county committee will also be available at the April 12 session of the Green State Nominating Convention.

Federal or State  [See Candidate Tool-Box below to find out what District(s) you are in.]

If the office you seek is not a county or local office, you must contact the GPA executive committee (Mark Jenkins 501-666-0620) and inform them of your desire to run for a non-local office.

To be nominated, you must be elected by the delegates to the nominating convention.

When you inform the state committee of your desire to run for office, the state committee will provide you with contact information on the various county committees so that you will be able to talk to the Greens around the state and tell them about your positions and plans for running for office.

You will be required to pay a filing fee to the Green Party of Arkansas. The fee must be paid at or before the nominating convention.

 -- the fee is $100 for state offices

 -- the fee is $500 for federal offices.

Remember that for both state and federal offices, there are regulations and reports that must be made to the state or the federal government.  It is your responsibility to make sure that you follow the government's reporting rules and regulations on donations and expenditures. In addition to state and federal election regulaters, you may be required to report to the body of government to which you are seeking election.

Candidate Tool Box (click on each line)

+++ List of Candidates filed March 10, When you get to page, scroll down, hit "View Candidate List" button.

+++ Enter your postal Zip Code + 4 to find out what districts you are in and your current office-holders

+++ Look up your zip+4 postal code

+++ Map of Arkansas Senate Districts

+++ Maps of Arkansas House Districts

+++ "Plain English" Handbook for Candidates (Arkansas State Board of Election Commissioners)

+++ Center for Policy Alternatives (cfpa.org) - Progressive Agenda excellent source of issue info

+++ Voter Page (Registration, How to, Dates, Candidate stands, Resources) [under construction]