On Wednesday, July 18, the Michigan Supreme Court heard 90 minutes of argument over whether an initiative to create a nonpartisan redistricting commission should be on the ballot. See this story. Everyone agrees that the initiative had enough valid signatures, but state government officials say the measure can’t be on the ballot because it is a revision, not an amendment. However, there is no definition of those terms in the State Constitution.
On June 30, the Idaho Democratic Party state convention voted to use the 2020 presidential primary, which will be in early March. This will be the first Democratic presidential primary in Idaho since 2008. Idaho Democrats used caucuses in 2012 and 2016. Thanks to Josh Putnam for this news.
The South Dakota Constitution Party held a state nominating convention on Saturday, July 14, but no one received a nomination because the identity of the party’s state officers isn’t settled. The party will hold a second convention on August 14. See this story.
The West Virginia Constitution Party says it already has enough signatures to place its U.S. Senate candidate, Don Blankenship, on the ballot, although the petition is not due until August 1. See this story.
On July 16, a U.S. District Court heard a case challenging the practice of New Hampshire election officials, relative to absentee mail ballots. The practice is to discard such ballots, without telling the voter, if the official believes the voter’s signature on the ballot envelope doesn’t match the voter’s signature on the voter registration application. The case is Saucedo v New Hampshire Secretary of State, 1:17cv-183. See this story.
The case is before U.S. District Court Judge Landya McCafferty, an Obama appointee.
