On January 13, the Minnesota Secretary of State filed this brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in De La Fuente v Simon, 20-612. This is the case over the Minnesota law that says a political party with its own presidential primary may dictate which candidates appear on that ballot.
Illinois House of Representatives Speaker Michael Madigan has been defeated for re-election as Speaker. He had been Speaker ever since 1983, except for two years when Republicans had a majority in the House. Under Madigan’s reign, the Illinois ballot access laws were made worse by the legislature, and all legislative attempts to improve them were killed.
In 1985 the legislature passed a bill saying that petitions for independent candidates, and the nominees of unqualified parties, could not start to circulate until 90 days before the deadline. Before 1985, those petitions could start as early as the proponents wished.
In 1999, the legislature moved the petition deadline from August to June. As a result of these two changes, the number of minor party and independent candidates dropped substantially.
There have been some improvements in some Illinois ballot access laws during the last 28 years, but they were all brought about by lawsuits.
Congressmember Steve Cohen (D-Tennessee) has introduced his HJR 14, a proposed constitutional amendment to abolish the electoral college. It says in section five that “Entitlement to inclusion on the ballot shall be determined by Congress.” Thanks to Thomas Jones for the link to HJR 14.
This story says that in Rensselaer County, New York, Republican leaders are actively encouraging their supporters to enroll in the Working Families Party, so as to help Republican candidates win the WFP nomination.
Indiana Representative Ryan Dvorak (D-South Bend) has introduced HB 1130. It would decrease the number of signatures for an independent, or the nominee of an unqualified party, from 2% of the last Secretary of State vote, to 250 signatures. It also lowers the vote test from 2% of the vote for Secretary of State, to 2,500 votes. Dvorak is the Assistant Democratic Party leader in the House.
