Tim Alberta, chief correspondent for Politico, talked at length to twenty voters about who they voted for and why. Included in the twenty was a voter who voted for Don Blankenship, and one who voted for Kanye West. The Blankenship voter wanted to cast a vote for someone who wants to ban abortion but who is not a womanizer. The Kanye West voted that way because “he hates both parties.” See the entire piece here. Thanks to electoral-vote for the link.
On December 14, Congressmember Paul Mitchell of Michigan’s 10th district told the Clerk of the U.S. House to switch his partisan affiliation in the Congressional Directory from Republican to independent. Michigan doesn’t have registration by party, so there is no other method for anyone to announce party membership or independent status than to say so publicly.
Mitchell was elected for the first time in 2016, and was re-elected in 2018, but did not run in 2020, so he has less than a month in office. He represents the “thumb” of the Michigan “hand”, the area north of Detroit that extends into Lake Huron. Thanks to Political Wire for this news.
Congressmember Mo Brooks of Alabama is leading an effort in Congress to reject the electoral votes of five states. He represents the Fifth District, which is the northernmost part of Alabama. In November 2020 he had no opponents on the ballot. The Democratic Party chose to run no one against him, and Alabama’s severe ballot access laws prevented any minor party or independent from running against him.
On December 9, former U.S. Senators Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, and Bob Kerry of Nebraska, and former New Jersey Governor Christy Todd Whitman, and other former elected officials filed this amicus curiae brief in Level the Playing Field v FEC, the presidential debates case.
The FEC has obtained permission to delay filing its response. The FEC response is now due January 13, 2021.
On December 11, a group of learned scholars, attorneys, and business leaders who are well-informed about the circulation of ideas filed this amicus curiae brief in Level the Playing Field v Federal Election Commission, 20-649. This is the case involving general election presidential debates.
