On September 8, the Arizona Supreme Court issued a two-page order in West v Clayton. It says Kanye West can’t be on the ballot as an independent presidential candidate because his elector candidates didn’t file a statement of economic interest, per ARS 16-341(I). It says it will explain further later.

It is somewhat a relief that the court did not say West should be barred from the ballot because he is a registered Republican in his home state. No presidential candidate in history has ever been kept off any ballot on the basis of how he or she is registered, and if the Court had cited that as a reason for keeping him off, it would have violated precedent in Arizona and all other states. Thanks to Rick Hasen for this news.

The Arizona Secretary of State’s website, which has instructions for presidential candidates, had never said that presidential elector candidates must file a statement of economic interest, and chances are no candidate for presidential elector in Arizona has ever before filed such a statement.

On September 8, the Ninth Circuit denied emergency injunctive relief to the Montana Green Party nominees for Congress and state office, but it is expediting the lawsuit. The next brief is due September 16. Also the Ninth Circuit is letting the Montana Green Party and Howie Hawkins intervene in the case, over the opposition of the Democratic Party which tried to keep them out of the case. Here is the 2-page order in Davis v Stapleton, 20-35734.

The party will not be on the ballot in November 2020, but it is possible that if it wins declaratory relief, the court will put it on the ballot for 2022.

The Rhode Island Town Clerks have not finished validating independent presidential petitions, but have already determined that the Libertarian presidential petition has enough valid signatures. See here. Thanks to Walter Ziobro for the link.