U.S. Supreme Court Won’t Hear Alabama Ballot Access Case

Posted on by October 7, 2019
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On October 7, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Hall v Merrill, 18-1362. This is the case that challenged Alabama’s petition requirement for independent candidates in special U.S. House elections.

The Supreme Court thus carries on its habit of denying all ballot access cases filed by minor parties or independent candidates. The Court hasn’t taken such a case since 1991. Although it took Burdick v Takushi in early 1992, that was a case filed by a Democratic voter who lived in a Hawaii legislative district with no Democrat on the ballot, and the plaintiff-voter wanted to write-in a Democrat.

California Media Fails to Inform Readers of State’s Failure to Appeal President Tax Returns-Ballot Decision

Posted on by October 6, 2019
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Here is the California Secretary of State’s calendar for various filing deadlines for the March 2020 presidential primary. The calendar says the Secretary of State will announce by December 6 which presidential candidates are on various presidential primary ballots.

Therefore, there is very little time left for appellate courts to decide the validity of the California tax returns-ballot law. Notwithstanding the time crunch, though, the state has still not filed a notice of appeal in Trump v Padilla, the case over whether presidential primary candidates must show their tax returns. The U.S. District Court enjoined the law. The Secretary of State said he would appeal, but so far he has not, which seems to indicate that he won’t appeal. But no general news source has mentioned his failure to appeal, so far.