The Washington Secretary of State has waived the petition in lieu of filing fee for the primary, for candidates who can’t afford to pay the fee. See this story.
The new rule doesn’t have any impact on the presidential independent/minor party petition, which is 1,000 signatures due July 25.
On May 6, a group of initiative proponents filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for ballot access relief in North Dakota. Sinner v Jaeger, 3:20cv-76. Here is the Complaint. The case is assigned to Judge Peter Welte, a Trump appointee.
On May 6, proponents of an Arkansas nonpartisan redistricting initiative filed this reply brief in U.S. District Court, in their lawsuit over ballot access for initiatives. Miller v Thurson, w.d., 5:20cv-5070.
On May 6, the Michigan Secretary of State said that primary petitions need a number of signatures equal to 70% of the statutory requirement. The Secretary of State made this decision after the Sixth Circuit said that some relief is required, but that the Secretary of State should be the person who decides how much relief is needed. This battle started in U.S. District Court, when Eric Esshaki won a 50% reduction.
Esshaki is on the ballot, but some of the intervenors in his lawsuit won’t be on the primary ballot if the Secretary of State’s 70% requirement is in force. Deana Beard, a candidate for a nonpartisan judicial race, and Bob Carr, a Republican running for U.S. Senate, won’t qualify under the Secretary of State’s rule, and they are intervening. Another hearing in U.S. District Court over the reasonableness of the 70% is set for Thursday afternoon, May 7. Meanwhile the Michigan Republican Party filed an amicus curiae brief to argue against letting electronic signatures be used. Thanks to Thomas Jones for this news.
On May 6, independent presidential candidate Richard Duncan sued Ohio over ballot access. Duncan v LaRose, s.d., 2:20cv-2295. He had been collecting signatures in Ohio to get on the ballot since July 31, 2019, and he has a substantial amount, but fewer than the needed 5,000 signatures. Here is the Complaint.
He successfully got on the Ohio ballot as an independent presidential candidate in 2008, 2012, and 2016. He asks that the number of signatures be reduced due to the health crisis, or that the petition be suspended this year. His case is assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Michael Watson
