The State Elections Board voted 5 to 4 Tuesday in favor of adding independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader to the Wisconsin ballot, bringing the total number of presidential candidates in the state to seven.
The board voted on two motions, each stemming from separate charges Nader failed to qualify as a presidential candidate in Wisconsin. The first motion regarded a complaint that Nader failed to list a presidential elector on his application for candidacy. The second motion arose from a charge that Nader is running under different political parties in different states. Both motions failed.
\The board was divided on how to apply the law and that was reflected in the split vote,"" said State Elections Board Director Kevin Kennedy.
Nader's addition to the ballot in a swing state like Wisconsin raises concerns among Democrats that his presence may tip the scales in favor of Bush.
""I think if he meets the technical qualifications of being on the ballot that's fine, but I think someone would be making a big mistake to vote for him,"" State Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, said in response to the decision.
Republican Party of Wisconsin Executive Director Darren Schmit said the Democrats' attempt to kick Nader off the ballot shows how desperate the party is to regain control of the White House.
""The complaint itself was ill-advised, petty and exposed the deep concerns Democrats feel about the many weaknesses of their presidential candidate,"" he said in a press release.
Wisconsin is not the only state where Nader's inclusion on the ballot has been challenged. According to the Nader campaign's Web site, Nader is currently in litigation in seven of the 37 states where he is on the ballot.
Despite the decision of the State Elections Board today, it is possible Nader may not be on the ballot come November. The Democrats can challenge the board's decision to put Nader on the ballot.
""The board's action can always be reviewed in court,"" Kennedy said.
Whether or not they will is another matter. If the Democrats fight the decision and lose, they risk being branded as anti-democratic.
""That could harm them even if they think that Nader would otherwise be a negative factor for Kerry's chance for defeating Bush in the state and I'm sure they'll be asking that question,"" said UW-Madison political science professor G. Donald Ferree.
