Citizens to Establish a Reform Party v. Priest

BRADLEY D. Jesson, Chief Justice.

This case concerns the appellants’ efforts to establish the Reform Party as a new political party in the State of Arkansas. Their objective is to field a slate of candidates for national, state, and county offices in the 1996 general election. Arkansas law provides two means of forming a new political party. The convention process permits a political group to hold a convention for the purpose of choosing presidential and vice-presidential candidates. See Ark. Code Ann. § 7-8-302 (Repl. 1993). If the candidates poll at least three percent of the vote in the…