Nader Falls Short in California
Ralph Nader failed to gather enough signatures to make the ballot in California as an independent presidential candidate, but his campaign said Saturday that it would keep trying to get his name before the state’s voters in November.
State election officials said Nader fell far short of the 153,035 signatures needed by Friday’s deadline. The consumer activist submitted 82,923 with 56 of the state’s 58 counties reporting, said Lauren Hersh, a spokeswoman for the secretary of state’s office.
Nader’s campaign coordinator in California, Forrest Hill, said he thought the final tally was “closer to 100,000.”
“It was very difficult collecting these signatures,” he said. “The paid signature gatherers did not work for more than a week or two. They all quit. They said it was too abusive, the attacks that went on” from people opposed to Nader’s candidacy.
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