Thomas P. DiNapoli is the elected Comptroller of New York state, and is a Democrat. He writes in this Newsday op-ed that the Commission established in New York to write a law for public funding of campaigns should not also try to eliminate fusion.
The Maine Libertarian Party ballot access case now has a docket number. The case is Baines v Dumlap, 1:19cv-509, assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Lance E. Walker, a Trump appointee. Last year Judge Walker upheld Maine’s ranked choice voting law after the Maine Republican Party sued to overturn it.
Here is the Complaint. It challenges the January deadline to qualify a new party, and the number of signatures that members of new and small qualified parties need to place themselves on the primary ballot. The statewide petition for primary candidates is 2,000 signatures of party members, regardless of how many registered members the party has.
On November 1, the U.S. Supreme Court conference considered whether to hear Thompson v Hebdon, 19-122, a challenge to Alaska campaign limits on donations. On November 4, when the Court released news of its actions on November 1, nothing had been decided about Thompson v Hebdon. This shows the Court is thinking seriously about whether to take the case. It has now been put on the November 8 conference.
Eastpointe, Michigan, will use ranked choice voting for its city council election on November 5, 2019. This will be the first time it has been used to elect public officials in Michigan. See this story. Thanks to Rob Richie for the link.
On November 1, Jacob G. Hornberger declared for the Libertarian Party’s presidential nomination. He is better known than the other declared candidates for that nomination. In 2000 he sought the party’s presidential nomination, losing to Harry Browne. For many decades he has headed the Future of Freedom Foundation. Thanks to Eric Garris for this news.
