On July 24, independent candidate Daniel Kollander was put on the November 4, 2025 ballot for Town Board of Cheektowaga, by a lower state court. The Board of Elections had rejected his petition because the individual petition sheets didn’t mention the name of the town in the “Public Office” blank, although the name of the town was in two other places on the petition.
On July 24, the U.S. Supreme Court extended the hold in Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians v Howe, 25A62. The vote was 6-3, with Justices Gorsuch, Alito and Thomas in the minority. This is the North Dakota legislative redistricting case. The Eighth Circuit had restored the legislature’s redistricting plan on the grounds that private individuals and groups can’t sue under the Voting Rights Act, a surprising conclusion given the history of how the act has been used since it was passed in 1965.
On July 22, Illinois Congressmember Michael Bost filed his brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in Bost v Illinois State Board of Elections, 24-568. The issue is whether he had standing to challenge the Illinois law that postal ballots should be counted if they arrive within 14 days of the election, assuming they are postmarked by election day. The lower courts had ruled that he does’t have standing to challenge the Illinois law.
His brief makes a forceful statement that candidates always have standing to challenge election laws that affect them. The case will be argued in the fall of 2025.
On July 23, the Ninth Circuit issued a ruling in State of Washington v Trump, 25-807. It agrees with the U.S. District Court, which had enjoined President Trump’s order on birthright citizenship. This is the first Appellate ruling on this issue. The opinion is by Judge Ronald Gould, a Clinton appointee. It is also signed by Judge Michael Daly Hawkins, a Clinton appointee, and by Judge Patrick Bumatay, a Trump appointee. Here is the 78-page document.
On July 23, the Fair Representation Act was again introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressmembers Don Beyer of Virginia and Jamie Raskin of Maryland.
See this press release.
The bill would provide for multi-member U.S. House districts in most states, and would be a type of proportional representation. UPDATE: the bill is HR 4632.
