On May 2, the Second Circuit refused to order New York election officials to let Jim Walden use the ballot label “Independence”. He is running for Mayor of New York city. The Second Circuit did not explain its reasoning, but said it will do so later. Walden v Kosinski, 25-764.

The case was before Judges Gerald Lynch and Alison Nathan (Obama appointees) and Eunice C. Lee (Biden).

The same law would also have banned the word “Independent” as a ballot label. It is astounding to think that it would be illegal in any state for an independent candidate to have “independent” as a ballot label. The authoritarianism of New York state, the only state with only two presidential candidates on the ballot last November, is shocking.

The Globe & Mail has this interesting analysis of Canada’s 2025 election, and how the outcome would have been if Canada uses proportional representation. The story also has a map showing how each constituency voted. As in the U.S., there is a strong split between urban and rural areas. The analysis advocates in favor of proportional representation.

A Maine state representative, Laurel D. Libby, has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to restore her ability to cast votes in the legislature. She lost the ability to vote in late February 2025, because she refuses to apologize for her statements about the issue of whether it is fair to let transgender women compete in high school sports. Libby then sued the Speaker of the Maine House so that she can again vote, but she lost in U.S. District Court and in the First Circuit.

Her U.S. Supreme Court filing is here, and was filed on April 28. Today the Court asked for a response. The case is Libby v Fecteau, 24A1051.