On January 24, the New York Libertarian Party filed its reply brief in Redpath v Spano (formerly called Merced v Spano), 18-2089. This is the case over New York’s ban on out-of-state petitioners. The Libertarian Party had won the case in U.S. District Court, and the state appealed. Soon the Second Circuit will set an oral argument date. The state argues that no one is harmed by the ban on out-of-state circulators, because anyone from out-of-state can work, as long as he or she has a New York resident present also.
Each State is a NATION-STATE for State/Local election purposes.
NON-State/Local persons [*aliens*] – none of your business in State/Local elections.
One more election part that SCOTUS is brain dead.
1st Amdt — ZERO to do with *election mechanics* – ballot access, voting, counting votes, etc.
Idiotic comment from the state in this case. It is actually difficult to find state residents that will go out and witness signatures for an out-of-state petition circulator, especially for long periods of time, say 8 or 10 or 12 hours per day. It is also ineffient, as petition circulators frequently have a difficult time finding locations that are busy enough to merit having two people standing next to each other.