LaPorte Green Walking Indiana for Ballot Access
April 29, 2006
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Jim Coplen, a Northwest Indiana Green, is walking Indiana from south to north to raise awareness of the Indiana Green Party and to highlight how difficult it is for minor parties to gain ballot access in Indiana.
The kick off was April 29, at the Lincoln Memorial across from Lincoln State Park in Spencer County.
Jim is carrying petitions to place Bill Stant, the Indiana Green Party candidate for Secretary of State, on the ballot in the general election. The Green Party needs 30,000 signatures of verified Indiana voters, mostly Republicans and Democrats, to get on the ballot.
Jim is happy to talk to anybody he meets about the Green Party, Bill Stant and the unusually difficult hurdles minor parties must clear to gain ballot access in Indiana. Of all 50 states, Indiana is among the worst regarding access to the ballot line.
Check Jim's progress on his blog at http://igpman.blogspot.com/. Updates will occur as often as possible.
Bill Stant will appear with Jim in various cities and towns to talk about what Greens on the ballot will mean for Indiana.
The walk follows Hwy 231 to Hwy 28 north of Crawfordsville, then east to Hwy 29, and north to Logansport. Hwy 17 north from Logansport to Plymouth, and Hwy 31 from Plymouth to South Bend.
- April 29, Kickoff from the Lincoln Memorial, end the day near Huntingburg, 14.4 mi.
- April 30, End the day near Haysville, 14.9 mi.
- May 1, End the day near CR550N along hwy 231, 18.2 mi.
- May 2, End the day near Richmond Creek Bridge, 18 mi.
- May 3, End the day near Freedom, 21 mi.
- May 4, End the day near Carp, 16.94 mi.
- May 5, End the day at Cloverdale, 9.39 mi.
- May 6, Travel to Terre Haute and return. End the day near Fox Ridge, 10.13 mi.
- May 7, End the day near Lapland, 18.73 mi.
- May 8, End the day near Linden, 19.92 mi.
- May 9, End the day near Fickle, 17.39 mi.
- May 10, End the day near CR500N on hwy 29, 20 mi.
- May 11, End the day near CR700N on hwy 29, 20 mi.
- May 12, End the day near intersection hwys 17 & 114, 20 mi.
- May 13 End the day at Culver, 21 mi.
- May 14 End the day at Lapaz, 20 mi.
Jim's wife, Karren, is scheduled pick him up at Lapaz on Sunday, May 14, and he will return there on Saturday, May 20, in order to finish at South Bend at 2:00 that day. The schedule is subject to change according to opportunities and weather conditions.
Along the way, Jim will be near:
- Huntingburg (4/30),
- Jasper (4/30),
- Loogootee (5/1),
- Bloomfield (5/3),
- Worthington (5/3),
- Freedom (5/4),
- Spencer (5/5),
- Cloverdale (5/5),
- Terre Haute (5/6),
- Greencastle (5/7),
- Crawfordsville (5/8),
- Linden (5/8),
- Romney (5/9),
- Frankfort (5/10),
- Burlington (5/10),
- Logansport (5/11),
- Culver (5/13),
- Plymouth, (5/19),
- Lapaz (5/14), and
- South Bend (5/20).
St. Joe Valley Greens, South Bend, IN