Eu May Bar Perot’s Name From Ballot

In a move that has angered die-hard Ross Perot loyalists in California, Secretary of State March Fong Eu is threatening to keep the Texan’s name off the state’s November ballot unless he declares he is a candidate for President.

Perot said last week that he will not run for the White House but urged backers to continue efforts to put his name on all 50 state ballots to give them “leverage” over other candidates. Perot’s California supporters had gathered 1.4 million signatures--10 times more than legally necessary--to qualify him for the ballot.

But Eu spokeswoman Melissa Warren said Wednesday that state election law bars “non-candidates” from appearing on the ballot.

“Mr. Perot has said in so many words that he is not and will not be a candidate,” said Warren. “His name will not be certified unless we get . . . a clear statement as to his status.”

California Perot chairman Bob Hayden and other state leaders could not be reached for comment Wednesday. But in an interview Tuesday, a Hayden assistant said Perot supporters were drafting a letter for Perot to submit to Eu.

Warren said Eu will accept a statement of Perot’s candidacy “at face value” despite his abrupt July 16 announcement that he will not run for President.

“All we need is . . . four words--’I am a candidate’--and he’s on the ballot,” she said. Perot’s statement must be submitted by Aug. 27.

Sam Johnson, a Visalia home builder and assistant to Hayden, said Tuesday that many Perot volunteers believe Eu, a Democrat, was invoking the 1937 law against Perot for partisan reasons.

Warren said her office has gotten dozens of calls from angry Perot supporters in the last few days “saying we’re being obstructionist and partisan and nasty.”

She denied Eu had any political motive in enforcing the law, which has never before been invoked by the secretary of state’s office.

Warren said Perot’s supporters also must submit the nomination papers for all 54 of his representatives to the Electoral College by Aug. 7. So far, only 37 electors have handed in papers, she said.