New York State Struggles with Redistricting, Given New June Date for Congressional Primaries

January 30th, 2012

See this story, which says that New York state’s legislature doesn’t expect to pass a U.S. House redistricting plan until mid-March, and which also says that due to the new court-imposed June primary date, elections administrators and candidates will have a tough time coping. The article hints that certain election laws might be changed. Possibly the legislature will relax the onerous primary petition requirements for 2012.



Pennsylvania Legislator Files Federal Lawsuit to Stop the Use of 2000 Census Data for Legislative Districts

January 30th, 2012

As reported earlier, last week the Pennsylvania Supreme Court invalidated the Redistricting Commission’s redistricting plan for Pennsylvania legislative districts, and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court also said the districts that have been in place for ten years should be used in the meantime.

On January 30, the Speaker of the Pennsylvania House filed a federal lawsuit, arguing that the U.S. Constitution does not permit the use of the old districts, because population has shifted since 2000. See this story.

Wisconsin Presidential Primary Candidates Now Known

January 30th, 2012

The Wisconsin Democratic presidential primary will list only President Obama. The Republican presidential primary will include Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney, and Rick Santorum. The primaries are on April 3.

District of Columbia Changes Presidential Petitioning Dates

January 30th, 2012

Last month, the Washington, D.C., city council passed bill 19-547, which changes the petitioning period for independent candidates and the nominees of unqualified parties, for President and all other partisan office. Petitioning can now begin two weeks earlier, and the deadline is two weeks earlier. For 2012, the period opens on June 15 and petitions are due on August 8. Thanks to Bob Johnston for this news.

D.C. does permit presidential stand-ins on petitions, so the changed period does not necessarily prevent an unqualified party from choosing its presidential nominee during August of an election year.

Maryland Ballot Access Case to be Heard in Highest State Court on March 2

January 30th, 2012

The Maryland State Court of Appeals, the highest state court in that state, will hear oral arguments on March 2 in Maryland State Board of Elections v Libertarian & Green Parties of Maryland, 2011-79. This is the case over whether certain types of signatures on petitions are valid. The parties had won the case in the lower court, which is why their petitions for ballot status in 2012 and 2014 have been approved.

Four Northern Mariana Islands Legislators Leave Republican Party, Will Run for Re-Election as Independents

January 30th, 2012

According to this story, four Republican territorial legislators in the Northern Mariana Islands have left the Republican Party and will run for re-election as independent candidates.

Hendrik Hertzberg Rebuts Critics of National Popular Vote Plan

January 30th, 2012

The New York has this Hendrik Hertzberg column, which rebuts common criticisms of the National Popular Vote Plan idea for presidential elections.

New York Lawsuit on Who Can Petition for Primary Candidates Reaches U.S. Supreme Court

January 29th, 2012

On January 10, a group of voters and candidates filed a cert petition with the U.S. Supreme Court, in the lawsuit over who may circulate nominating petitions to get candidates on New York primary ballots. New York says no one can circulate a petition to get a candidate on a primary ballot unless the circulator is either registered in that party, or a notary public or a commissioner of deeds. The case is Maslow v Board of Elections, 11-857.

The state has already asked for a month’s extension for its response, and the Court has granted the extension. The state’s response is now due March 9.

Nebraska Bill, Making it Easier for Parties to Remain on Ballot, Has Committee Hearing February 1

January 29th, 2012

On February 1, the Nebraska Senate Government, Military & Veterans Affairs Committee will hear LB 757, the bill to make it easier for a party to remain ballot-qualified. The bill says if a party meets the 5% vote test, it then remains on the ballot for the next two elections, instead of just the next election.

Freedom Socialist Party Nominates its First National Ticket

January 29th, 2012

On January 26, the Freedom Socialist Party announced that it has nominated its first national ticket. The presidential nominee is Stephen Durham of New York, and the vice-presidential nominee is Christina Lopez of Washington state. See here for more about the ticket.

The Freedom Socialist Party has run nominees for various public offices starting in 1991. It has had candidates for Congress, state legislature, or city office, in California, New York, Oregon, and Washington. Thanks to IndependentPoliticalReport for the link.

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Welcome to the OFFICIAL online home of Ballot Access News, a non-partisan newsletter reporting on the trials and tribulations of folks trying to put candidates on the ballot in the United States of America. There are many surprisingly restrictive ballot access laws in this country, which the average voter has no knowledge or conception of; part of our purpose here (besides reporting on progress made) is to report on these restrictive ballot access laws so that more people are aware of them. I hope you find these materials interesting and exciting; if you do, you can support the newsletter by subscribing!

Ballot Access News is edited and published by Richard Winger, the nation's leading expert on ballot access legal issues.

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  • Politics, Soviet-style by S. Philip Gordon, regarding recent ballot access issues in Georgia – the US state, not the Russian territority!

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Other information:

  • Here's how to subscribe to Ballot Access News!

  • Here's information on Presidential Ballot Access as well as the vote totals of recent Presidential elections.

  • Here are some other sites which may also be of interest:

    Project Vote-Smart

    Project Vote Smart is a citizens' organization dedicated to serving all Americans with accurate and unbiased information for electoral decision-making. It was inaugerated in 1992 by former US Presidents Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, and other leaders. Its webpage offers information about all ballot-listed candidates for all federal and state office.
    [Added:040729]

    The ACE Project
    An interesting site concerning itself with the "Administration and Cost of Elections", including issues of fairness and regulatory approaches in various countries. They seem to be almost blind to the ways that third parties in the USA are harmed by campaign finance rules crafted for the problems characteristic of the larger parties, or the ways that third parties would be disenfranchised by various proposed rules, but this is nevertheless a useful resource, particularly for the international comparisons it makes.
    [Added:001206]

    "Unofficial" B.A.N. Page

    At first, it looks like there's not much here. But then you follow the "Charts" link, and click on one of the listed candidates, and you'll get some truly wonderful nationwide maps of voting patterns.
    [Checked:991014]

    Third Party Central

    Collects lots of good information and links relating to various third parties into one convenient location. Nice set of writings on why one should vote third-party.
    [Checked:991014]

    Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections

    A surprisingly complete listing of votes cast in Presidential elections, including numerous third-party candidates and nice maps of vote distribution by state and (on the individual state pages) by county.
    [New-URL:010309]

    D.C.'s Political Report

    Very good presentation of candidate and party information, including virtually every known third-party group in the USA. Election results, candidate information, etc.
    [Updated:991214]

    Center for Voting and Democracy

    Folks concerned with alternative voting systems, and related issues, from a moderately leftist perspective. Useful articles describing how better systems of voting and electing actually work.
    [Added:000823]

The newsletter is published by and copyright by Richard Winger.