On April 10, Michigan filed this brief in Esshaki v Whitman, e.d., 2:20cv-10831.  This is the case in which a Republican U.S. House candidate is attacking the requirement that he submit 1,000 valid signatures to get on the primary ballot, by April 21.

The state barely acknowledges the health crisis.  It says the burden on him is not severe.  It says he should have gathered his signatures before the health crisis broke out.  It says he is always free to be a write-in candidate in the primary.  It says the state must guard against ballot-crowding and frivolous candidates.

The state says already 24 primary candidates for U.S. House have managed to file petitions.  It does not say that Michigan has 14 U.S. House seats, so that is only about one and two-thirds candidates from both major parties together, in the typical district.

The state’s brief doesn’t mention other states that have either reduced the number of signatures this year, or abolished petitions entirely, or extended petition deadlines.  The primary is August 4.

The oral argument will be April 15, Wednesday, at 2 p.m.