The OWL Party of Washington was a minor political party founded in a tavern and jazz club, the Tumwater Conservatory, in Tumwater, Washington, to field candidates in the 1976 elections. History The party was founded by the owner of a jazz club, Red Kelly, to change Washington's liquor laws.
The party's name, OWL, was a double acronym, standing for "Out With Logic, On With Lunacy", and its motto was "We don't give a hoot!".
The OWL Party secured a place on the ballot for the 1976 elections. The relative ease with which this party gained access to the electoral process, however, forced the Washington State Legislature to re-evaluate and increase the barriers for minor-party access to the ballot. The changes were challenged, unsuccessfully, by established minor parties like the Socialist Workers Party. References
External links
— The U.S. Supreme Court arguments, available in MP3 format, capture the essence of the debates surrounding minor-party access during that period.