September 2018 Ballot Access News Print Edition

Posted on by September 29, 2018
2

Ballot Access News
September 1, 2018 – Volume 34, Number 4

This issue was printed on white paper.

Table of Contents

  1. U.S. DISTRICT COURT ENJOINS MICHIGAN PETITION REQUIREMENT FOR STATEWIDE INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES
  2. TWO NORTH CAROLINA BALLOT ACCESS WINS
  3. MONTANA GREEN PARTY FILES FEDERAL BALLOT ACCESS CASE
  4. CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE BANS PAYING PER SIGNATURE
  5. ELEVENTH CIRCUIT SAYS ALABAMA BALLOT ACCESS CASE IS MOOT
  6. MASSACHUSETTS AUTOMATIC VOTER REGISTRATION
  7. NORTH CAROLINA DISTRICTS INVALID
  8. ALTERNATE VOTE SYSTEMS
  9. CONSTITUTION PARTY LOSES WEST VIRGINIA BALLOT ACCESS CASE
  10. ALASKA POLITICAL PARTY RIGHTS WIN
  11. NEW MEXICO ADDS STRAIGHT-TICKET DEVICE
  12. OTHER LAWSUIT NEWS
  13. BOOK REVIEW: INDEPENDENT POLITICS
  14. 2018 PARTY REVENUE FROM STATE INCOME TAX “CHECK-OFF”
  15. TOTALS FOR THE ENTIRE NATION THROUGH HISTORY, 2000-2018
  16. GARY JOHNSON BECOMES LIBERTARIAN NOMINEE FOR U.S. SENATE
  17. OHIO SPECIAL CONGRESS ELECTION
  18. DEMOCRATIC PARTY SUPERDELEGATES
  19. DAVID McREYNOLDS DIES
  20. ALASKA DEMOCRATS NOMINATE AN INDEPENDENT FOR U.S. HOUSE
  21. MAINE LIBERTARIAN COMMISSIONER
  22. TENNESSEE LIBERTARIAN PARTY WINS A PARTISAN RACE
  23. D.C. REPUBLICANS NOMINATE
  24. WASHINGTON TOP-TWO RARE EVENT
  25. SUBSCRIBING TO BAN WITH PAYPAL

Centrist Runs as an Independent for Florida Attorney General

Posted on by September 29, 2018
1

Here is a news story about Jeffrey Siskind, an independent candidate for Attorney General of Florida. He is only the third person in the last 90 years to be on the ballot for that office, who is not a Republican or Democratic nominee. Florida law made it virtually impossible for anyone to run outside the two major parties (except for President) from 1931 through 1998. The law was eased in 1999. The only other two non-major party candidates for Florida Attorney General have been independent Jim Lewis, who got 3.8% in 2010; and Libertarian Bill Wohsifer, who got 2.9% in 2014.

Siskind says he is a centrist. He has in the past been both a Democrat and a Republican.

Meriden Pays Connecticut Libertarian Party $37,000 to Settle Lawsuit Filed Over Blocking Petitioners from City Park

Posted on by September 28, 2018
4

On April 28, police for the city of Meriden, Connecticut, prevented Libertarian Party petitioners from working in a city public park at a well-attended Daffodil Festival. The party was working to get 7,500 valid signatures for its statewide slate of candidates. The party sued, and the city has now settled the lawsuit by paying the party $37,000. See this story.

Final Brief Filed in Ninth Circuit in Case over California Secretary of State’s Deletion of “Independent Candidate” in Voter Handbook

Posted on by September 27, 2018
25

On September 26, the final brief was filed in the Ninth Circuit in Merritt v Padilla, 18-55457. This is the case over Paul Merritt’s statement in the California Voters Handbook. For a large fee, candidates for statewide office are permitted to write a statement about their candidacy, which is printed in the book that is mailed to every registered voter. In 2016, Paul Merritt, an independent candidate for U.S. Senate, paid for a candidate statement and referred to himself as an “Independent candidate.” He is not registered into any party, so he is an independent.

The Secretary of State deleted the “independent candidate” words from the title of Merritt’s statement, without even telling him. He only found out when his county election official informed him. Yet the U.S. District Court ruled in favor of the Secretary of State, so Merritt is appealing.