NEW POLITICAL PARTY IN ARIZONA

posted by Andrea Kelly

The Americans Elect Party is the newest political party in Arizona.

The party joins the Democrat, Green, Libertarian and Republican parties, and means candidates can be officially recognized on the ballot.

To become an official party, the group had to collect 23,041 signatures from voters in the state, including from each of the 15 counties in Arizona. The Secretary of State's office verified the signatures this week.

"Americans Elect is the first-ever open nominating process. We're using the Internet to give every single voter—Democrat, Republican or independent—the power to nominate a presidential ticket in 2012. The people will choose the issues. The people will choose the candidates. And in a secure, online convention next June, the people will make history by putting their choice on the ballot in every state," says the Americans Elect website.