California Assemblymember Christopher Ward recently amended his AB 930 to drop the provision that imposes filing fees on certain write-in candidates. Thanks to Dave Kadlecek for this news.
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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.
On April 10, Kansas House Bill 2056 went into effect. Governor Laura Kelly declined to sign it, but she let it become law without her signature. It requires minor party nominees (who are nominated in convention) to submit notarized declarations of candidacy. It also makes it clear that Kansas does not allow two parties to jointly nominate the same candidate. That was already policy but it is now more explicit. Thanks to Eric Lund for this news.
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.
On May 1, the Florida legislature passed CS/HB 1205. It says that no one may circulate an initiative petition to more than five voters plus family member voters who live with the circulator, unless the circulator has taken a two-hour on-line course. See this story.
It also imposes fines of $2,500 on anyone who circulates but who doesn’t submit the petitions within ten days after they had been signed.