Here is a Detroit News story about the December 22 decision that invalidated the Michigan law requiring 30,000 signatures for statewide independents.
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The Maine Republican presidential primary ballot will only list President Donald Trump. All candidates needed 2,000 signatures of registered Republicans. No one else submitted a petition, not even William Weld. This shows how difficult the Maine petition requirement is for primary ballot access for statewide office.
The New York state Commission on Public Funding raised the number of signatures for a statewide independent, or for the nominee of an unqualified party, from 15,000 signatures to 45,000 signatures. Under the law that authorized the Commission to re-write election laws, the New York legislature had until December 22 to veto the work of the Commission. The legislature did not act. Therefore, the new petition requirement is now in effect.
A state court in Niagara County is currently considering whether the legislature exceeded its authority when it authorized the Commission to re-write election laws. A decision is expected any day now. That case is actually two cases, one filed by the Working Families Party and the other by the Conservative Party. They are being considered together.
The Commission also raised the vote test for the definition of qualified party from 50,000 votes for Governor, to the greater of 130,000 votes or 2% of the total vote cast, in each presidential and gubernatorial election. But that is not in effect until November 2020.
The Missouri Green Party presidential primary ballot will list Howie Hawkins, Dario Hunter, and David Rolde. The latter two filed on December 23, the next-to-last day. Candidates qualify by paying a fee of $1,000.
Indiana State Senator Greg Walker has again introduced his bill to lower the number of signatures for statewide independent candidates and the nominees of unqualified parties. It is SB 106. It won’t appear on Indiana legislature’s web page until the first week in January. Thanks to George Wolfe for this news.