Republican presidential front runner Newt Gingrich's exclusion from Virginia's primary ballot could be the jolt lawmakers need to change the state's ballot rules.
"I think that's legislation that someone in our party will introduce," Democratic House Minority Leader David Toscano said Saturday.
The General Assembly would have to approve so-called emergency legislation to reform the ballot rules and allow Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Rick Perry, Michelle Bachmann and Jon Huntsman to participate in the March 6th primary.
Toscano says changing the rules is easier said than done. "An emergency clause legislation, which would take effect immediately, would require 80 percent of those voting to approve, and it's hard to know whether you could get 80 percent," he said.
The state board of elections requires candidates submit 10,000 signatures from registered voters, including 400 from each of the 11 congressional districts. Only Mitt Romney and Ron Paul met that standard.
"I don't think it's anything to brag about that Virginia has the toughest ballot qualification requirements in the country," UVA Center For Politics Director Larry Sabato said.
Sabato says those rules are extreme for a reason. "They reduce the amount of competition on the ballot for incumbents so, it's the same old story. It's the incumbent party whether it's democrats or Republicans," Sabato said.
In this case, it's the front runner who's being excluded. Toscano says that shows the system is broken. "We have to figure out a way to make the ballot accessible to candidates who have proven they can compete," Toscano said.
Saturday, Gingrich vowed to stage an aggressive write-in campaign, but Virginia law prohibits write-ins in a primary election.