Persons associated with the Illinois Republican Party have filed an appeal, in the lawsuit to remove Bill Redpath, Libertarian nominee for U.S. House, 6th district, from the ballot. The Redpath petition is the only general election U.S. House petition that survived the challenge process this year in Illinois. After the challenge failed, the challengers sued the State Board of Elections to remove Redpath, but they lost in the trial court. Now they are asking the state Appeals Court to remove him.

Their only argument is that persons who voted in the March primary should not be able to sign petitions for independent candidates, and petitions for the nominees of unqualified parties. But there is no law that makes signing illegal for primary voters.

Earlier this month, Kevin Van Ausdal, the Democratic nominee for U.S. House, 14th district of Georgia, said that he is getting a divorce, must leave his home, and is unable to afford a new residence in Georgia. Therefore, he is moving to Indiana to live with his parents. See this story.

The author of the story, and Van Ausdal, both assume that he cannot continue to run. However, the U.S. Constitution does not require a candidate for Congress to live in the state during the campaign. Residence in the state is only required on election day. Article One, section two, says, “No person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained the age of 25 years, and been seven years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.”

The article makes it seem as though that the Democratic Party wants the legal ability to replace him.

On September 17, Washington’s Secretary of State asked a state trial court to declare that initiative sponsors cannot use electronic signatures. Wyman v Hankerson, Thurston County Superior Court. Here is the opening document. Thanks to Steve Kamp for the link.