COFOE (the Coalition for Free & Open Elections) greatly appreciates the contributions it has received from some of you this year. COFOE helped pay for the ballot access cases that won in September 2006 in Ohio and Illinois, and your contributions made that possible.

Now, COFOE has paid $1,000 toward the printing of a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in the Washington state lawsuit over top-two primaries; and COFOE has paid $250 toward the fee for appealing Schaefer v Lamone to the 4th circuit. Schaefer v Lamone challenges the Maryland law on ballot order.

If COFOE had additional money at this time, it could also pay an attorney to do an amicus curiae brief in Wasson v Bradbury, the federal lawsuit against Oregon’s law making it illegal for voters to sign for an independent candidate and also vote in a partisan primary. Although the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Texas law in 1974, the Oregon law has some legal vulnerabilities that the Texas law did not. However, the plaintiff in Wasson v Bradbury has not yet made these points, and he may never do so. Therefore, an amicus curiae brief is badly needed.

If you are willing to contribute to COFOE for the Oregon brief, or just to help COFOE in general, please send any contributions to either Ballot Access News, PO Box 470296, San Francisco Ca 94147, or to COFOE’s treasurer, Alice Kelsey, 192 Lewis Rd., Northport NY 11768. Make the check out to COFOE.

Anyone who contributes at least $25 to COFOE gets a free subscription to Ballot Access News for a year.