Richard Lee Winger (born August 27, 1943) is an American political activist and analyst. He is the publisher and editor emeritus ofBallot Access News. He sits on the editorial board of theElection Law Journal. Winger publishes analysis, statistics and legal information and supports expanded access to the ballot forminor parties.[2][3][4][5][6]
Winger is widely regarded as an expert onballot access andelection law,[7][8][9][10] as well as on the topic ofthird-party politics in the United States.[11] Though not an attorney, Winger periodically testifies in court cases and legislative hearings and is a source for both the media and political organizers.[12][13][14][15] He has been published inThe Wall Street Journal,Journal of Election Law, theFordham Urban Law Review,American Review of Politics,California Journal and other publications.[16] He has appeared as a commentator on ballot access onNBC,ABC,CNN, andNPR.[16] Since 1985 Winger has publishedBallot Access News,[17][18] a monthly newsletter covering developments in ballot access law and among American minor parties generally.[3][19]
On June 1, 2023, Winger announced his retirement fromBallot Access News. He continues to write on the website.[20]
In 1985 Winger co-founded, along with several minor party representatives, theCoalition on Free and Open Elections (COFOE).[4] The group attempts to co-ordinate action and provide mutual support among the various minor parties for efforts to liberalize and reform ballot access laws.
Winger has made one run for public office, a 1986 campaign forSecretary of State of California on the Libertarian ballot line. As he was running for the office charged with the administration of elections, the campaign was styled as being nonpartisan, intended to represent the interests of all minor parties. Winger finished fourth among five candidates with 1.5% of the vote.[22]
^Rudin, Ken (November 1, 2006)."Who's On Third? Those 'Other' Candidates".NPR. RetrievedApril 24, 2012.Richard Winger ofBallot Access News, who follows this stuff more thoroughly than anyone else, notes that every state holding partisan statewide races this year has minor-party or independent candidates except for Alabama, New Hampshire, New Mexico and Pennsylvania....
