A bill in Nevada has been introduced that would move the petition deadline for newly-qualifying parties from June to May, and move the petition deadline for non-presidential independent candidates from June to March. It is AB 82, requested by the Nevada Association of Counties and sponsored by the Assembly Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections.
In 1992, a U.S. District Court enjoined the June petition deadlines that were in effect that year, in Fulani v Lau, cv-N-92-535. The legislature then moved them to July, but some years later, moved them back to June.
Nevada also lost a deadline case in 1986, Libertarian Party of Nevada v Swackhamer, 638 F Supp 565, although the deadline struck down in that case was in April. Thanks to Jeanine Hansen for the news about AB 82.
Politicians who come up with bad ballot access bills like this should be thrown out of office.
Nevada was one of six states Jill Stein did not get on the ballot in ’16, partly because of the early June deadline.
That’s right, Rick. The Nevada Green Party sued, but the U.S. District Court said the party had waited to long to sue (mid-August) and wouldn’t give any relief. The case was dismissed without prejudice. So there is a case to be made that the existing deadline for new parties, June, is too early, so it’s crazy to move it to May.