On August 5, a California Republican primary voter living in Los Angeles County filed a federal lawsuit against the new California law that keeps presidential candidates off primary ballots unless they reveal the last five years of income tax returns. Lykins v Newsom, c.d., 2:19cv-6761.
Here is the Complaint. So far, the case had not yet been assigned to any particular judge.
On August 5, the Arkansas Secretary of State filed this two-page brief, seeming to express anger that the U.S. District Court in Libertarian Party of Arkansas v Thurston, e.d., 4:19cv-214, has not acted on the state’s request for a stay. The U.S. District Court on July 3 had enjoined the 3% petition for party status in this case, leaving the old 10,000-signature requirement in place. Since then, the Secretary of State has verified that the party did submit at least 10,000 valid signatures, so the party is on, unless either the U.S. District Court or the Eighth Circuit grants a stay.
On July 31, the plaintiffs associated with the Democratic Party of Florida, including the Democratic National Committee, filed this document with a Florida U.S. District Court that is hearing Jacobson v Lee, n.d., 4:18cv-262. This is the lawsuit in which Democrats challenge the Florida law that says the party that won the last gubernatorial election shall have all its nominees listed first.
Although couched as a proposed decision that the Democrats wish the Judge would write, this document can really be taken as the final brief of the Democrats. It is 67-pages long and is a useful reference to state laws that mandate neutral procedures to determine who is listed first on the general election ballot. It is also a useful summary of past court precedents on this issue.
Unfortunately, the Democrats argue that the relief they seek should not be given to independent or minor party candidates. Footnote 17 says, “Plaintiffs here do not challenge Florida’s tiered ballot-order system, or the order in which minor party or non-partisan candidates are listed.” Current Florida law says the major party nominees are listed first, followed by the nominees of parties with less than 5% of the registration. Below them are independent candidates.
On August 2, Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello signed SB 1323, which moves the Democratic presidential primary from June to March 29. The Puerto Rico law lets the Republican Party choose the date of its presidential primary, and the Republican Party of Puerto Rico hasn’t yet decided on its date.
Shortly after Governor Rossello signed the bill, his resignation went into effect. Thanks to Josh Putnam for the news about the primary date change.
On August 2, the Iowa Libertarian Party filed a federal lawsuit against the March petition deadline for non-presidential independent candidate petitions, and the non-presidential petition deadline for the nominees of unqualified parties. Iowa Libertarian Party v Pate, s.d., 4:19cv-241.
The Iowa deadline had been in mid-August ever since 1953, until 2019, when the legislature moved it to mid-March. Before 1953 the deadline had been in late September, and before that, in early October. So the 2019 change was drastic.
The case is assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose, an Obama appointee. Here is the Complaint.
