Eleventh Circuit Sets Alabama Ballot Access Hearing Date

Posted on by October 2, 2017
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The Eleventh Circuit will hear Hall v Merrill, 16-16766, on Wednesday, December 13. This is the case over Alabama’s ballot access laws for independent candidates and newly-qualifying parties in special elections. The U.S. District Court had ruled in 2016 that requiring a petition of 3% of the last gubernatorial vote in special congressional elections is unconstitutionally difficult, because in a special election there is less time to complete the petition. The state is trying to get that ruling reversed. This case was first filed in 2013.

The plaintiff is James Hall, an independent candidate in the 2013 U.S. House special election that was needed when Congressman Jo Bonner resigned. He was replaced by Bradley Byrne.

Four-Party Debate Set in Utah Special Congressional Election

Posted on by October 1, 2017
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On October 13, a debate will be held for the special U.S. House election, 3rd district. Participating are the nominees of the Republican, Democratiac, Libertarian, and United Utah Parties. The debate will be in a school auditorium in Sandy and will be televised. See here for more details. The four invited debates are John Curtis, Kathie Allen, Joe Buchman, and Jim Bennett.

Utah Initiative, to Alter How Political Parties Nominate, Will Start to Circulate

Posted on by September 29, 2017
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“Count my vote”, a group that opposes convention nominations, will start to circulate an initiative petition very soon. The initiative would change the election law, to provide that party conventions would have no role in choosing party nominees. Instead, all qualified parties would nominate by primary. Currently Utah has a hybrid system in which candidates who have substantial support at party meetings become the nominee, unless someone else files a petition for the same office. Then, there is a primary. But most of the time, no such petitions are filed, and persons with support at party meetings never face a primary. See this story.