As reported previously, on March 25, a state trial court lowered the Virginia requirement that statewide primary candidates need 10,000 signatures. Faulkner for Virginia v Virginia State Board of Elections, city of Richmond circuit court CL20001456-00.
The decision is now explained. See this story in Virginia Lawyers Weekly, which has the entire text of the court order.
On April 15, supporters of Maine’s ranked choice voting filed a lawsuit in state court, arguing that the Republican Party’s petition to stop using ranked choice voting for president is invalid. The lawsuit depends on a technical point. When the legislature passes a law, Maine allows a petition to freeze the new law, and the Republican Party has been circulating such a petition.
The lawsuit says the petition can’t have any legal effect, even if it gets enough signatures, because the procedure only applies to laws that have not yet gone into effect. The lawsuit argues the ranked choice procedure for president is already in effect. The effective date is complicated because the Governor allowed the measure (which passed the legislature last year) to go into effect without her signature, and the effective date in such cases is complicated. See this story. Thanks to Fairvote for the link.
Richard Brodsky died on April 8, 2020. See this New York Times obituary. He was 63. He was the attorney for the Working Families Party who won the lawsuit Hurley v Public Campaign Finance & Election Commission on March 12, 2020. That lawsuit invalidated the 2019 restrictions on ballot access for small political parties.
That court win was effectively canceled on April 1, 2020, when Governor Cuomo put the same restrictions into the state budget, which passed the legislature that day and was also signed into law that day.
The Logan Banner, a West Virginia newspaper, has this extensive story about Don Blankenship. The story mentions near the end that he is seeking the Constitution Party presidential nomination.
Matt Welch has this comprehensive article in Reason Magazine, setting forth what is known about Justin Amash’s plans to seek the presidency. Thanks to Eric Garris for the link.
