Nestor Ramos, a Boston Globe columnist, says here that newly elected U.S. Senator Mitt Romney ought be become an independent presidential candidate in 2020.
On November 15, the Eleventh Circuit voted 2-1 to sustain yesterday’s U.S. District Court order in Democratic Executive Committee v Detzner, 18-14758. This is the case over Florida voters whose provisional ballots, or mail absentee ballots, had been rejected because election officials felt the signature on the outer envelope of the ballot didn’t match the signature on the voter registration form. The order permits such voters to visit an election office and show evidence that the ballot is theirs.
The appeal had been filed on November 15. The state governments of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas had filed an amicus in support of the Florida Secretary of State, who had tried to overturn the U.S. District Court order. The National Republican Senatorial Committee had intervened in the case on the side of the Florida Secretary of State.
The three judges who handled this appeal in the Eleventh Circuit are Gerald Tjoflat, a Ford appointee; and two Obama appointees, Beverly Martin and Robin Rosenbaum. Here is the order. The order does not say which judge is in the minority. Thanks to Rick Hasen for this news.
At the November 6 election, Libertarian nominees won five partisan elections around the nation:
1. Henry County, Indiana, Liberty Township Board, Terry Coffman
2. Henry County, Indiana, Liberty Township Trustee, Jamie Jo Owens
3. Wayne County, Indiana, Clay Township Board, Cheryl Heacox
4. Montgomery County, Indiana, Franklin Township Board, Dean Hartley
5. Montgomery County, Kentucky, Justice of the Peace, 2nd district, Shannon Denniston
The Green Party won one partisan race. John Roush was elected one of the two Registrars of Voters for Union, Connecticut
The Constitution Party won one partisan race. Jerry R. Jones was elected Greene County Commissioner in North Carolina.
As already noted, the Progressive Party elected nine state legislators in Vermont.
U.S. District Court Judge Colin Bruce will hear Gill v Scholz, c.d., 3:16cv-3221, on April 16, 2019. This is the Illinois case on the petition requirement for independent candidates for U.S. House. Judge Bruce is new to the case; it formerly had been in the hands of Judge Sue Myerscough.
The National Conference of State Legislatures has this chart showing the partisan lineup of each state legislative body. It is quite clear, although not completely up-to-date. It appears to have been updated last on November 9. Some of the California totals shown in the chart are no longer accurate. Thanks to Jim Riley for the link.
