Dan K. Webb, who was in charge of No Labels’ attempt to find a presidential nominee, told a reporter that Christie was willing to be the group’s nominee if No Labels could find a Democrat to run with Christie for vice-president. See this story. No Labels was unable to find a Democrat, so nothing came of the Christie candidacy.
On April 12, the Minnesota Secretary of State’s website finally published a sample petition for independent candidates and the nominees of unqualified parties that is 8.5 inch by eleven inch paper. The old form was on 8.5 by fourteen inch paper, which most people can’t print from their home computers.
On Saturday, April 13, Robert F. Kennedy held a campaign meeting in Iowa, in order to get on the ballot without the need for a petition. Iowa lets independent candidates, and the nominees of unqualified parties, get on the ballot if they have 500 voters at a meeting. The Kennedy meeting had 686 eligible voters, so he has essentially completed his ballot access work in that state. See this story.
The method is very seldom used. A few years ago the legislature increased the attendance requirement from 250 to 500.
At the Iowa event, Kennedy said he is no longer interested in the Libertarian nomination.
This newspaper story says that Ohio Republican legislative leaders say it is up to Democratic legislators to introduce a bill easing the deadline for parties to certify their presidential nominees. Apparently no such bill has been introduced yet in Ohio, even though there are similar bills introduced in Alabama.
On Friday, April 12, the Third Circuit heard arguments in Kim v Hanlon, 24-1594. The judges are Kent Jordan (Bush Jr. appointee), Cheryl Ann Krause (Obama), and Arianna J. Freeman (Biden). This is the lawsuit over New Jersey’s ballot format in primaries. See this story. The judges seem inclined to agree with the U.S. District Court that the discriminatory ballot format is unconstitutional.