Reading Eagle (October 4, 1940)
COMMUNISTS FACE BAN IN 12 STATES
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Court Actions Started To Get Planes on Ballot
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By United Press
At least 12 states have barred the Communist Party or Communist candidates from the general election ticket in November, a survey showed today.
States which have denied the party ballot space include: Wisconsin, Missouri, Ohio, West Virginia, Washington, Illinois, Connecticut, Utah, Minnesota, Kansas, Arkansas and Arizona.
In many of these states, Communists have instituted court action to overrule election officials or lower courts. In others, the Communist Party failed to qualify under state laws requiring a percentage of the popular vote in the previous election, or enough nominating signatures.
Efforts of the state or private groups to bar the party failed in Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Texas and Michigan.
New litigation has been started in California to deny the ballot to Communists on grounds that they advocate a governmental system opposed to democracy, therefore, if elected, they could not take an oath to support the U.S. Constitution. The state legislature passed a law denying Communists places on state primary ballots and the measure is awaiting the action of Gov. Culbert Olson. The state Supreme Court twice has denied petitions to disfranchise the party.