Alaska, Colorado, Nevada...California? What do those first three states have in common? They have reached the 1% threshold for registered Libertarians. Could we be next? Only if each county makes an effort to reach its 1%. Currently, Ventura County has 3440 registered Libertarians, or .79% of the 433,496 total registered voters in the county. We need to reach 4334 registered LP voters, an addition of 894 liberty leaning independents. Can't be done anytime soon? Well, think back and remember how the Gary Johnson campaign added 1000 to our rolls.  

Let's make this a major goal, second only to running Libertarian candidates. There are so many possibilities out there. In our county alone, we have 100,000 claiming no party alliance. And then there are the 10,000 American Independents who probably don't realize they are actually in a party, or don't even know what the party stands for. Here are some interesting county figures to get you started---the number of registered Libertarians in each city: Camarillo 335; Fillmore 40; Moorpark 171; Ojai 28; Oxnard 416; Port Hueneme 79; Santa Paula 70; Simi Valley 626; Thousand Oaks 655; Ventura 541. 

If you think about it, 1% should be a minimum goal. But because we are so fortunate here in California to have such easy ballot access, we don't rally and fight to hike our numbers. The following is from the Secretary of State.

"Once qualified, a political party maintains its qualified status by:

• Retaining registrants representing at least 1/15 of 1 percent (0.067%) of the total state registration (Elections Code §§ 5101, 5153); and
• Having one of its statewide candidates (running for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Controller, Treasurer, Attorney General, Insurance Commissioner, or United States Senator) receive at least 2 percent of the entire vote of the state for that office at the June 3, 2014, gubernatorial primary election (Elections Code §§ 5100(a), 5151(b)); or
• Retaining statewide registration equaling at least 0.33 percent of the total number of voters registered on the 154th day before the primary election or the 123rd day before the presidential general election. (Elections Code §§ 5100(b), 5151(c).)"

It's not too soon to plan for another rush of at least 1000 new registered Libertarians by 2020. We are bound to have another great candidate whom we will be proud to offer to the country.