In 2009, the Nebraska legislature passed a law requiring petitions to say in red letters whether the circulator is being paid or is volunteering. On September 24, a state court put an independent candidate on the ballot, even though the petition lacked that language. See this story. The candidate, an independent candidate running for Saunders County Attorney, had submitted an awesome 3,150 signatures, an amazing feat in a county that has a population of only 19,830. The judge said disqualifying the petition would have disenfranchised the voters, because if Cook had not been able to get on the ballot, only one candidate, the incumbent Republican, would have appeared on the ballot.
The constitutionality of the law, requiring the petition to say if the circulator is paid or not, is currently being litigated in U.S. District Court in Nebraska.
Superb writing. Can’t wait to read more.