On January 17, the North Carolina Democratic Party filed this final brief in North Carolina Democratic Party v Berger, m.d., 1:17cv-1113. The issue is whether the state violated the U.S. Constitution when it abolished judicial primaries for 2018 only. North Carolina judicial elections are partisan, and party labels appear on the ballot. But with no primaries, there is no state-sanctioned method for any party to choose its nominees.
The U.S. Supreme Court will consider Gary Johnson v Commission on Presidential Debates, 17-916, at its February 16, 2018 conference. This is the case in which Gary Johnson and Jill Stein argue that the Commission on Presidential Debates is in violation of federal anti-trust laws.
Oklahoma Senator Lonnie Paxton (R-Tuttle) has introduced SB 1038. It says that if a candidate has family income below the federal poverty level, he or she may get on the ballot with a filing fee that is one-fourth of the normal amount of the filing fee. Alternatively such a candidate can get on the ballot with a petition of one-half of 1% of the registered voters in that jurisdiction. Thanks to E. Zachary Knight for the link.
This article in the Stanly (North Carolina) News & Press has some details about the legal status of the Green Party in North Carolina, toward the end of the article.
The law, effective January 1, 2018, says any party that placed its presidential nominee on the ballot in the last presidential election in at least 35 states is a qualified party. The Green Party qualifies, and the party has already submitted proof. But because the State Board of Elections currently has no board members, the staff of the Board of Elections feels it cannot implement the party’s new status.
