On May 23, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine called a special session of the legislature, so that it may pass a bill easing the deadline for qualified parties to certify the names of their presidential and vice-presidential nominees. This is the first special legislative session in Ohio since 2004.
It would be rational if the bill moves the deadline permanently, not just for 2024, so that this recurring problem can be solved for future elections.
According to this IndependentPoliticalReport story, the Reform Party of Florida has submitted paperwork to regain its qualified status.
On May 23, Marquette Law School released a poll that includes the presidential race. It lists Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., at 17%, even though the poll also included Jill Stein and Cornel West.
Under the CNN debate criteria, Kennedy needs to have been at or above 15% in at least four polls taken between late March and June 20. The Marquette Poll is his third one to meet the requirement, so now he just needs one more. Here is the link to the poll. See item B2.
On May 22, an Illinois state trial court granted a preliminary injunction against the State Board of Elections, keeping the traditional Illinois “slating” process in effect for the time being. The “slating” process is a method for qualified parties to nominate someone after the primary, assuming the primary didn’t nominate anyone. Collazo v Illiinois State Board of Elections, Sangamon County Circuit Court, 2024-CH-000032.
The case had been filed by some Republican candidates who had been slated by the Republican Party. The lawsuit was necessary because the legislature this month had abolished the procedure and made that change effective immediately.
On May 22, a Michigan state trial court issued a Temporary Restraining Order, ordering the Michigan Libertarian Party officers to reinstate the delegates to the national convention who had been dropped by the party’s Judicial Committee on May 18. Buzuma v Chadderdon, Cheboygan County Circuit Court, 24-9042-cz.
There have been two factions of the Michigan Libertarian Party since 2022. The Chadderdon faction had held a convention in March 2024 to select delegates to the national convention, which opens Friday, May 24, in Washington, D.C. At the March 2024 convention, most of the delegates elected were members of the Buzuma faction. Activists in the Buzuma faction had attended the meeting, even though it had been called by their intra-party opponents, and had largely prevailed in the selection of national delegates. Then, on May 18, the Chadderdon officers had removed most of the delegates.
The court order says the original list of delegates must be resubmitted to the national party officers, and that after it is submitted, no further submissions are permitted. It also says that failure to obey the court order will result in contempt of court. The decision is partly based on two Republican Party intra-party lawsuits settled by Michigan state courts earlier this year, which established the precedent that Michigan state courts will act in such intra-party disputes.
Here is the two-page order, and the attached Complaint, along with copies of Bylaws. Thanks to ThirdPartyWatch for the link.
