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Minnesota Legislature Passes Bill Allowing Electronic Signatures on Candidate Petitions

Posted on May 10, 2020 by Richard WingerMay 10, 2020

On Saturday, May 9, the Minnesota legislature passed HF 3429. It allows candidate petitions for the general election this year to be collected electronically.

It also gives the qualified parties more time to certify the names of their presidential and vice-presidential nominees, and their presidential elector candidates. But it does not extend the deadline for unqualified parties and independent candidates. The bill moves the deadline for the qualified parties from August 11 to August 28. But the petition deadline for the presidential nominees of unqualified parties, and independent presidential candidates, remains August 18.

New York Trial Court Puts Candidate Back on Primary Ballot Even Though She Had Not Submitted Full Paperwork

Posted on May 9, 2020 by Richard WingerMay 15, 2020

On May 8, a New York Supreme Court in Manhattan put Assemblywoman Rebecca Seawright back on the Democratic primary ballot. See this story. She had not submitted a cover sheet with her petition. Precedent in New York state is strong that petitions without cover sheets are invalid. But the judge said the health crisis, which put Assemblymember Seawright into a quarantine during the primary petitioning period, means that paperwork errors of this type cannot keep candidates off ballots.

The Board of Elections will appeal, as will the Republican Party. Seawright is a Democrat. The case is Matter of Seawright v Board of Elections in the City of New York, 2020 NY slip op 02900.

Reason Magazine News Story on Libertarian Party Decisions on National Convention

Posted on May 9, 2020 by Richard WingerMay 9, 2020

Reason Magazine has this detailed story about the Libertarian Party’s May 9 decisions about the 2020 presidential convention plans.

Libertarian Party Will Use On-Line Process to Choose National Ticket in Late May, Then Hold an In-Person July Convention for Other Business

Posted on May 9, 2020 by Richard WingerMay 9, 2020

On May 9, the Libertarian Party national committee decided to hold an on-line meeting that starts on May 22 to choose its national ticket. Also, it will hold an in-person convention in Orlando, Florida, July 8-12, for other party business.

Libertarian National Committee Determines that Party Bylaws Require a Traditional Physical Convention

Posted on May 9, 2020 by Richard WingerMay 9, 2020

On May 9, the Libertarian Party national committee voted that the party’s national bylaws require that the party hold a physical presidential convention. The group will now work on where and when that convention will be.

The committee will also debate whether to have a two-round process, in which the first round would be virtual, and the second round, or “second sitting” would be a physical meeting.