In 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Socialist Workers Party is entitled to an exemption from reporting its campaign contributors, because the evidence showed that persons identified with the SWP were likely to be harassed. The Federal Election Commission has been exempting the SWP ever since. However, the FEC always sets a time limit at which the exemption expires. It is about to expire. The party has again asked for an extention. See this article in The Militant, the party’s weekly newspaper.

Other parties that have got similar exemptions have been the Communist, Freedom Socialist, and Socialist Alternate Parties. However, none of them has had any candidates for partisan office in many years.

Oregon Representative Alissa Keny-Guyer, a Democrat, will introduced the National Popular Vote Plan bill next year. Oregon is one of the few states with Democratic control of state government that has not yet passed the plan. See this story.

Also, Ohio Representative David Leland will introduce the bill in his state next year. See this story. Leland is a Democrat and the Ohio legislature has a Republican majority.

On the evening of November 29, a state trial court in Wisconsin heard Jill Stein’s lawsuit over whether the presidential recount should be conducted by hand, instead of by running the ballots through the vote-counting machines again. At the end of the hearing, the judge ruled that the state is free to use machines. See this story. Thanks to Thomas Jones for the link.