A. Any recognized political party shall continue to be a recognized political party if a candidate of that party for any statewide elected office receives at least two and one-half percent (2.5%) of the total votes cast for the office in either of the preceding two general elections. If such a political party fails to retain recognition, the party may regain recognition only by following the procedure prescribed for formation of new political parties. The State Election Board shall proclaim the fact of a party's failure to receive a sufficient number of votes and shall order that the party cease to be recognized.
B. Any recognized political party that ceases to be recognized under provisions of this section shall be designated as a political organization. Such political organization designation shall terminate four (4) years from the date that the political party ceases to be recognized or when the political organization regains recognition as a political party, whichever is earlier.
Added by Laws 1974, c. 153, § 1-109, operative Jan. 1, 1975. Amended by Laws 1999, c. 88, § 1, emerg. eff. April 13, 1999; Laws 2016, c. 251, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2016; Laws 2018, c. 189, § 1.
NOTE: The effective date stated for Laws 2018, c. 189, § 1 was purportedly retroactive to Nov. 1, 2017. For that reason, it was deleted here.