On March 24, Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed SB 1527. Among other things, it eases the definition of a qualified party. It reduces the registration requirement from one-half of 1% of the state total, to one-fourth of 1%. This is the first bill enacted in calendar year 2022 that improves ballot access.
There is still no reaction from the Eleventh Circuit over the petition for rehearing filed in the Georgia ballot access case. The case challenges the requirements for minor party and independent candidates to get on the ballot for U.S. House. Libertarian Party of Georgia v Raffensperger, 21-13199.
Generally, petitions for rehearing are rejected within two weeks after they have been filed.
On March 23, North Dakota Secretary of State Al Jaeger invalidated over half the signatures on the statewide term limits initiative. The initiative needed 31,164 signatures, and the proponents submitted 46,366. See this Ballotpedia story.
Proponents of the initiative strongly dispute the Secretary of State’s conclusion, and will bring a lawsuit to try to validate their petition.
On March 24, some Georgia voters asked the Secretary of State to remove Comgresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s name from the Republican primary ballot, for U.S. House, 14th district. They say she doesn’t meet the qualifications listed in the U.S. Constitution. They specifically cite the 14th amendment language about insurrection. See this story. Thanks to HowAppealing for the link.
On March 21, the New York Libertarian and Green Parties filed this opening brief in the Second Circuit in Libertarian Party of N.Y. v New York State Board of Elections, 21-1464. This is the case that challenges the 2020 law that increased the statewide petition from 15,000 signatures to 45,000 signatures, and increased the vote test from 50,000 votes for Governor, to 2% for both President and Governor.
The state’s brief is due in June.
