On June 16, several Rhode Island candidates for State Senate in Democratic and Republican primaries filed a federal lawsuit for ballot access relief. They each need 100 signatures. The signatures must be obtained between June 30 and July 10. They ask that electronic signatures be permitted. Acosta v Restrepo, 1:20cv-262. Here is the Complaint.

The case is assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy, an Obama appointee. The Secretary of State of Rhode Island supports letting petitions be collected electronically, but she does not feel she has the authority to implement such a change. Thanks to Tim Cotton for this news.

On June 15, U.S. District Court Judge Peter Welte, a Trump appointee, denied ballot access relief to proponents of a North Dakota initiative. Sinner v Jaeger, 3:20cv-76. They had asked that electronic signatures be permitted, and that the requirement that each sheet should have a notarized signature from the circulator be waived for 2020. Obviously when electronic signatures are permitted, it makes no sense to require the “circulator” to say that he or she witnessed the signature. Here is the opinion. The opinion says that North Dakota was never under an order for most individuals to stay at home. Also it says the adherents could have started the petition drive sooner. They started in March 2020.

North Dakota law permits initiative proponents to gather signatures for a year, but the plaintiffs want to qualify their initiative by July 6 so that it will qualify in time for the November 2020 ballot. Part of the initiative would implement a nonpartisan redistricting commission, and if the voters don’t approve it in 2020, then even if it eventually becomes law, that part of it can’t be used until after the 2030 census.

The Maine Republican Party submitted a referendum petition on June 15. The purpose is to require yet another vote on whether Maine should use ranked choice voting. Voters have already voted in favor twice. The new petition has the effect of stopping the use of ranked choice voting for president in November 2020, assuming the petition is valid. See this story.

There is a possibility the timing of the referendum petition is too late. That is currently being litigated in a state trial court.