This news story says that some witnesses assert that Kanye West’s independent presidential petition in Wisconsin was filed 18 seconds too late. The individual filing the papers was in front of the state elections office before 5 p.m., but the door was locked and she had to phone the office to be let in. By the time she was in the correct office inside the building, and was handing over the papers, it was 18 seconds past 5 p.m. However, a reasonable interpretation, especially in the time of government buildings that are locked during business hours, is that filing is timely if the filer is at the front door. By analogy, voters who arrive at the door of a polling place at the moment of closing are permitted to vote, even if the line prevents them from actually voting by the closing hour.

The Natural Law Party only exists in Michigan, where it has been continuously ballot-qualified since 2002. As it had indicated earlier that it would do, this year its presidential nominee is Rocky De La Fuente. Here is the partial Michigan Secretary of State candidate listing, although so far it doesn’t include Democratic or Republican nominees.

For those who are impatient for Joe Biden to announce his choice for vice-president, there won’t be long to wait. The Democratic National Convention, which will be virtual, starts August 17, only eleven days from today.