On March 16, the Ohio Supreme Court again invalidated a legislative redistricting plan. Here is the opinion in League of Women Voters of Ohio v Ohio Redistricting Commission. The May primary will now probably be moved to a later date. The vote was 4-3. The two dissents, together, are twice as long as the majority opinion, and quite angry.
If the primary is moved to a later date, that would also extend the deadline for independent candidate petitions to a later date.
On March 16, the Pennsylvania Elections Department released the number of signatures for independent candidates, and the nominees of unqualified parties, for U.S. House this year. They range from 1,000 signatures to 2,343 signatures. The total number of signatures for an unqualified party to run a full slate is 30,821. That is significantly lower than what it was in 2020, when 62,979 were required.
Here are the numbers for each of the seventeen districts.
This news story announces the New York Libertarian Party’s decision to petition for its gubernatorial nominee, Larry Sharpe. The petitioning period is limited to a six-week period that starts mid-April and ends at the end of May. New York bars out-of-state circulators, but the party expects to sue to overturn that ban.
On March 16, Brian P. Moore filed in the Green Party primary to run for Governor of Florida. His Lieutenant Governor running mate is Jennifer Sullivan.
The Green Party has been ballot-qualified in Florida for 22 years, but never before has it had any statewide nominees (except president). This is largely because the filing fees are so high. The gubernatorial filing fee for a party member is $8,050.86.
Moore was the Socialist Party presidential nominee in 2008.
No left-leaning minor party has been on the ballot for Governor of Florida since 1920, when the Socialist Party ran F. C. Whitaker. He received 2.13% of the vote. The Communist Party, the Socialist Workers Party, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, the Peace & Freedom Party, and the Justice Party, have been on the Florida ballot in the past or currently, but none of them has ever run for Governor of Florida.
On March 15, the Maryland State Court of Appeals moved the 2022 primary from June 28 to July 19, due to the pending lawsuit over state legislative district boundaries. See this order. Thanks to Fairvote for this news.
