Josh Putnam Article Dismisses Fears that if Presidential Electors Are Free to Vote for Whom They Wish, Anything Will Change

Posted on by June 17, 2020
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Josh Putnam, who runs the FrontloadingHQ blog about presidential primaries, has this article at 538.com. He discusses the idea that if the U.S. Supreme Court rules that presidential electors are free to vote for any qualified candidate, that “chaos” would insue. Putnam says that is a groundless fear. He points out that in the states in which there were “disobedient” elections in 2016, the major parties had a decentralized system for choosing presidential elector nominees, but that the major parties are free to centralize their method. He says that the Washington state Democratic Party has already done so.

A decision will be out soon from the U.S. Supreme Court about presidential elector freedom of choice. Thanks to Fairvote for the link.

Rhode Island Primary Candidates Sue to Obtain Ability to Submit Electronic Signatures

Posted on by June 17, 2020
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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.

Socialist Equality Party Will Attempt to Place Presidential Nominee on Illinois Ballot

Posted on by June 17, 2020
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The Socialist Equality Party has announced plans to attempt to place its presidential nominee on the Illinois ballot. See this press release. The presidential nominee is Joseph Kishore.

No party with “socialist” or “socialism” in its name has been on the ballot for statewide office in Illinois since 1992, when the Socialist Workers Party was on.

U.S. District Court Refuses Ballot Access Relief to North Dakota Initiative Proponents

Posted on by June 17, 2020
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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.