On March 31, U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Helen C. Adams, an Obama appointee, issued a short order in Iowa Libertarian Party v Pate, 4:19cv-241. This is the case filed in 2019 against the new March petition deadline for independent candidates, and the nominees of unqualified parties, for all offices except president. The legislature had moved that petition deadline from August to March. The legislature had not disturbed the August petition deadline for presidential petitions.

The order from the court is only two sentences. It says, “Text order granting motion for summary judgment filed by Iowa Libertarian Party; and denying motion for summary judgment filed by Paul D. Pate, Jr (Pate is the Secretary of State). A separate written Ruling setting out the legal analysis will be filed.”

When the written decision is issued, it will be posted here. This order seems to show that the Iowa Libertarian Party, and other unqualified parties, and independent candidates, will now be able to submit petitions for additional candidates for the 2022 election. Presumably they will have until August 2022 to do that, although this isn’t certain yet. The Libertarian Party had complied with the March deadline for its nominee for Governor and four state legislative candidates, but no others. It especially had wanted to submit petitions for a U.S. House candidate.