Republican candidates get around ballot access rules by making a fundraiser visit to Florida’s GOP | Democracy, elections and voting at Democracy Chronicles

This Ballot Access News article, “Fourteen Republican Presidential Candidates Gain Automatic Spot on Florida Primary Ballot by Appearing at Fund-Raiser”, was published by Richard Winger:

On November 13 and 14, the Florida Republican Party held a fund-raising event in Orlando. Earlier the party had passed rules saying only presidential candidates who appeared could be on the presidential primary ballot automatically. Those who did not appear had to pay a filing fee of $25,000, or else obtain signatures of 125 registered Republicans from each U.S. House district.

Fourteen Republican presidential candidates attended and will now be on the March 15, 2016 presidential primary ballot. No one has paid the filing fee or gathered the signatures.

Seven Republicans spoke on Friday, November 13, in this order: Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham, Mike Huckabee, Jeb Bush, Donald Trump, and Ben Carson.

Another seven Republicans spoke on Saturday, November 14, in this order: Rick Santorum, Jim Gilmore, Bobby Jindal, Rand Paul, Chris Christie, John Kasich, and Carly Fiorina. Because the Paris attacks had occurred between the Friday session and the Saturday session, the Saturday speakers had an opportunity to address the Paris events.

Ben Carson had been the last presidential candidate to accept the invitation to attend the Sunshine Summit. He didn’t announce that he would attend until November 4.

The Florida Republican presidential primary is winner-take-all. Whoever gets the most votes on March 15 gets all the delegates. Never before has any Florida Republican presidential primary had more than nine candidates listed. However, it is unlikely that anyone will claim the Republican voters will be “confused” by using a ballot with 14 names.