Vladimir Putin Collects 1,500,000 Signatures on Ballot Access Petition

Posted on by January 19, 2018
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Russian President Vladimir Putin’s campaign says 1,500,000 signatures have been gathered to put him on the ballot as an independent candidate. The petition drive started January 5, 2018, and needed 300,000 signatures. The election is March 18. See this story.

Another candidate, Grigory Yavlinsky, says he has collected the needed 100,000 signatures to run. Russia requires 300,000 signatures for independent candidates, but 100,000 signatures for nominees of parties that don’t have any representatives in the national legislative body. Parties that do have such representatives do not need any signatures. See this story about Yavlinsky.

U.S. Supreme Court Receives Eight Amici Briefs in Opposition to Minnesota’s Ban on Political Clothing, but No Briefs on Minnesota’s Side

Posted on by January 18, 2018
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The U.S. Supreme Court will hear Minnesota Voters Alliance v Mansky, 16-1435, on February 28. This is the case in which the lower courts upheld Minnesota’s ban on political clothing at the polls. Eight organizations have submitted amicus briefs in support of the people who challenged the ban. No amici briefs have been filed in defense of the law.

Anyone may read any of the briefs using this U.S. Supreme Court page. The eight organizations opposed to the ban are: the ACLU, the Southeast Legal Foundation, CATO Institute, the Goldwater Institute, the James Madison Center for Free Speech, the Justice & Freedom Fund, the ACRU, and the Center for Competitive Politics (which has since changed its name to the Free Speech Institute).