On May 27, U.S. District Court Judge Kristine Baker held a trial on Whitfield v Thurston, e.d., 4:20cv-466. This is the case filed by two independent candidates in Arkansas. They seek ballot access relief due to the health crisis. They also challenge the May 1 petition deadline on general terms, and the requirement that all signatures be collected in the 90 days just prior to the deadline. See this story.
U.S. District Court Judge Peter Welte will hear Sinner v Jeager, 3:20cv-76, on Thursday, June 4, in Fargo, at 2 p.m. This is the case over ballot access relief for initiatives, relating to the health crisis.
On May 27, Tulsi Gabbard voluntarily dismissed her defamation lawsuit against Hillary Clinton. Here is the one-paragraph request. Gabbard says she still thinks her lawsuit has merit, but that there are more important goals. Thanks to Political Wire for this news.
This Salt Lake Tribune article says that thousands of Utah Democrats appear to be changing their registration to “Republican” so as to vote in the Republican primary.
On May 25, U.S. District Court Judge Paul K. Holmes issued an opinion in Miller v Thurston, w.d., 5:20cv-5070, a case over petitions for initiatives in Arkansas. The opinion suspends the law that requires all initiative petitions to include a signature of the petitioner who asked voters to sign the petition. In other words, the signer becomes his or her own circulator. This enables the group that is sponsoring the initiative to electronically distribute the petition to voters willing to sign it. They can print the petition blank from their own home printer. The order also suspends the law that says the petition sheets must be notarized.
The opinion is 25 pages. It upholds the July 3 deadline for the petition to be submitted. The lawsuit had been filed by a group that supports an initiative for a nonpartisan redistricting commission. The order applies to all initiatives, not just that initiative.
