On March 25, the Hawaii Democratic Party released its plan for the 2020 presidential selection process. The plan goes for the party to hold its own presidential primary on Saturday, April 4, 2020. Although the party’s polls will close that day at 3 p.m., the party will also arrange for early voting. See Josh Putnam’s description here.
Amy Howe has this detailed description of the March 26 argument in the U.S. Supreme Court in the partisan gerrymandering cases from North Carolina and Maryland.
On Tuesday, March 26, the U.S. Supreme Court heard the two partisan gerrymander cases, from North Carolina and Maryland. The North Carolina case, Rucho v Common Cause, was argued at 10 a.m. and lasted 70 minutes. The Maryland case, Benisek v Lamone, followed and as this post is being written, is still underway. There should be a great deal of news about the two hearings available from the general media, very soon.
Rhode Island Senator Mark McKenney (D-Warwick) has introduced SB 589. It eases the deadline for voters who change parties. Current law says voters can’t change parties during the 90 days before the September primary. The bill would change that to 30 days.
On March 19, U.S. District Court Judge Andre Birotte asked attorneys for the state of California to file an Answer to the Complaint in Soltysik v Padilla, c.d., 2:15cv-7916. This is the case over whether members of unqualified parties may have their party listed on the ballot. Current law says they can only have “party preference: none” printed on the ballot, if they are running for Congress or partisan state office. The plaintiff is a registered Socialist.
The U.S. District Court had dismissed this case some years ago, but then the Ninth Circuit reinstated it, so there will be a trial unless the state decides to settle the case.
