On February 10, the city of Seattle filed this response in Elster v City of Seattle, 19-608. This is a case involving Seattle’s voucher system for public funding of campaigns for city office. Each registered voter has four $25 vouchers, and that voter is free to give them to any candidate for city office. The candidate can then turn them in for campaign cash, to help his or her campaign.

The money is raised by a property tax. The lawsuit was filed by a property taxpayer who argues that it violates the First Amendment to force him to pay a tax that goes toward helping a candidate he may not agree with.

On February 7, the federal government filed a notice of appeal in Fitisemanu v USA. This is the case in which a U.S. District Court in Utah ruled that the U.S. Constitution requires that persons born in American Samoa be considered citizens. The reason the case was in Utah, was that an adult born in American Samoa now lives in Utah, and he filed the lawsuit.

In the Tenth Circuit, the case is 20-4017.

On February 7, the Virginia House passed HB 1107, which lets local governments use ranked choice voting for elections for their own officers. The vote was 57-42. Here is the text.