On October 7, the Democratic and Republican candidates for Kentucky Secretary of State spoke and were asked their opinion about a semi-closed primary. The Republican nominee, Michael Adams, said he favors Kentucky’s closed primary, but also he favors letting each party decide that for itself. The Democratic nominee, Heather French Henry, said the issue needs research. See this story.

Henry and Adams are the only candidates for Secretary of State of Kentucky this year. Although the Libertarian Party is on the ballot and has three statewide nominees, it doesn’t have a candidate for Secretary of State. The election is November 5, 2019. Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi are the only states with gubernatorial elections this year.

On October 7, the Washington state presidential electors who were fined because they voted for someone other than Hillary Clinton filed their cert petition in the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court hasn’t assigned a case number yet. It is Chiafalo v Washington. The State Supreme Court had voted 6-1 that the state was correct to fine each of them $1,000. Here is the filing. It wasn’t due until October 20, but the attorneys finished their product early.

UPDATE: the case is 19-465. The state’s response is due November 8.

Five former Governors of Delaware have filed this amicus curiae brief in the U.S. Supreme Court, asking the court to hear Carney v Adams, 19-309. This is the case over the Delaware law that says no one is eligible to be appointed a state judge (for most of the state courts) unless they are a member of a party that has at least 5% of the registered voters. The ex-Governors support the law, which the Third Circuit invalidated a few months ago. Two of the ex-Governors are Republicans, and three are Democrats.

Obviously the Delaware law makes it impossible for any registered independent to become a state judge.