Wyoming Improved Ballot Access for Independent Candidates in 2018; Change Not Previously Noted at B.A.N.

Posted on by August 12, 2020
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This is very old news, but it had not been reported at Ballot Access News previously. On March 14, 2018, Wyoming HB 40 was signed into law. It repealed the law that said if a voter signed more than one independent candidate petition for the same office, only the first signature counted. This bill was a general election code bill passed in the budget session, so BAN missed it back in 2018.

In 2016, Evan McMullin, an independent presidential candidate, petitioned in Wyoming. He had enough valid signatures, except that enough of his signers had already signed for Jill Stein and/or Rocky De La Fuente, that he did not qualify. They, of course, had petitioned before he had, because he had not entered the race until August 10, 2016. Thanks to Kara Ramsey for this news.

New Mexico Libertarian Party Files Reply Brief in Case over Failure of Election Officials to Tally Primary Write-ins

Posted on by August 12, 2020
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On August 12, the New Mexico Libertarian Party filed this reply brief in Curtis v Oliver, 1:20cv-748. This is the case over whether the party’s candidate for one of the statewide state offices received enough write-ins in the Libertarian primary to be considered nominated. Some counties clearly did not tally the write-ins. The candidate only needs 26 more write-ins to be considered qualified for the November ballot.

Tampa Bay Times Carries Story Critical of Florida Top-Two Ballot Measure

Posted on by August 12, 2020
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The Tampa Bay Times has this story about Florida’s Amendment Three, the top-two initiative. The story features an analysis that shows Black representation in the Florida legislature would likely decline if the amendment took effect. Toward the bottom, the story also mentions the problem that top-two sometimes disenfranchises members of one of the major parties. It points out that in 2018, there were two Republican candidates for Governor in the primary, but five Democrats. So plausibly, if top-two had been in effect, the November 2018 ballot would have carried only two Republicans for Governor.

U.S. District Court Will Hear Arguments in New York Ballot Access Case on Thursday, August 13

Posted on by August 12, 2020
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U.S. District Court Judge John Koeltl will hear the various minor party lawsuits against the 2020 New York state ballot access law on Thursday, August 13. The new law, signed April 2, 2020, triples the number of signatures needed for statewide independent candidates and the nominees of unqualified parties. It changes the definition of a qualified party from a group that got 50,000 votes for Governor, to one that got 130,000 votes or 2% (whichever is greater) for the office at the top of the ballot every two years. The new law is being challenged by the SAM Party, the Working Families Party, the Green Party, and the Libertarian Party.