Montana State Trial Court Enjoins Three New Restrictions on Voting

Posted on by April 6, 2022
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On April 6, a Montana state trial court enjoined three new laws that increase the difficulty of voting. Montana Democratic Party v Jacobsen, Yellowstone County, 13th jud. dist., DV21-0451. Here is the opinion. The ruling blocks the repeal of election-day registration. It also blocks a law that restricts the forms of voter ID; and it also blocks a law making it illegal for anyone who delivers voted absentee ballots to be paid. The co-plaintiffs include several organizations that represent Native Americans.

California Bill to Ban Ranked Choice Voting Appears Defeated

Posted on by April 6, 2022
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On April 6, the California Assembly Elections Committee heard AB 2808, the bill to prohibit charter cities and counties from using ranked choice voting. In California, committees vote on bills immediately after the testimony. There was a great deal of testimony against the bill. Afterwards, no member of the committee moved that the bill pass, which wasn’t surprising, because all but one member of the committee criticized the bill. Technically the bill isn’t defeated (because no vote was taken) but it seems obvious the bill is dead.

U.S. Supreme Court Sets Conference Date for Libertarian Alabama Case on Access to List of Registered Voters

Posted on by April 6, 2022
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The U.S. Supreme Court will consider whether to hear Libertarian Party of Alabama v Merrill, 21-1288, on Friday, April 22. This is the case that challenges the law that gives qualified parties free copies of the list of registered voters, but says unqualified parties who are petitioning must pay $36,000 to get the list.

Georgia Secretary of State Files Brief in Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Lawsuit Concerning Qualifications

Posted on by April 6, 2022
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On April 6, the Georgia Secretary of State filed this brief in Greene v Raffensperger, n.d., 1:22cv-1294. This is the case in which congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene seeks to stop election officials from holding a hearing on whether she meets the constitutional qualifications to run for re-election. The challengers believe she is not qualified, under the Fourteenth Amendment, section 3, concering “insurrection.”

The state’s brief insists it has a right to determine whether congressional candidates meet the constitutional qualifications.