The Legal Marijuana Now Party has submitted its petition for party status in Nebraska. Assuming the petition has enough valid signatures, it will be on the ballot for 2022. It will remain on the ballot after November 2022 if it polls at least 5% for one of the statewide offices, or if its registration reaches 10,000. The offices on the 2022 ballot that the party could plausibly poll 5% for are Secretary of State, Treasurer, Attorney General, and Auditor. Then, if it gets 5% for any of those, it will be on the ballot in both 2024 and 2026.

Currently the only qualified parties in Nebraska are Republican, Democratic, and Libertarian. The Libertarian Party has well over 10,000 registrations, so it is not particularly motivated to run for the lesser state statewide offices that are up in 2022. That enhances the chances that the Legal Marijuana Party will poll enough votes in 2022 to remain on.

Here is the final brief in Cowen v Raffensperger, n.d., 1:17cv-4660. This is the Georgia Libertarian Party’s lawsuit against the petition requirements for U.S. House, which were passed in 1943 and have never been used by a minor party, and have not been used by an independent since 1964. A decision should be out by the end of the calendar year.

On September 25, U.S. District Court Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo, an Obama appointee, ordered Texas election officials to add a straight-ticket device to the 2020 ballot. The case had been filed on August 12. Texas Alliance for Retired Americans v Hughs, s.d., 5:20cv-128. Here is the decision.

On September 26 the state asked for a stay, and also appealed to the Fifth Circuit. The state submitted affidavits from local election officials explaining that it is too late to change the ballot without great cost. Thanks to Jim Riley for the news about the state’s appeal.

Texas repealed the device in 2018, but made the change effective with the 2020 election.