North Carolina Minor Party Activists Delay Implementation of New Regulations that Would Hamper Petitioning

Posted on by September 5, 2025
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The North Carolina State Board of Elections has promulgated some regulations that would make it more difficult for parties to petition for ballot access. They include a rule saying the circulator must orally tell everyone he or she approaches what the goals of the party are, and a rule forcing all circulators to be publicly identified.

Under North Carolina law, if at least ten adult residents object to new election regulations, the regulations can’t take effect until they are examined by the state legislature. Duruing the last week in August, thirteen qualified individuals submitted objection letters. Most of the objectors are from the Constitution Party, but a member of the Socialist Party, a Liberetarian, and several Greens, also objected.

Even if the new regulations are finally implemented, the pending Cornel West ballot access lawsuit will amend the Complaint so as to challenge the new regulations.

Texas Republican Party Files Federal Lawsuit to Obtain a Closed Primary for Itself

Posted on by September 8, 2025
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On September 4, the Republican Party of Texas filed a federal lawsuit to obtain a closed primary for itself. Hunt v State, n.d. 2:25cv-200. Here is a link to a news source that has a link to the Complaint. Texas has always had open primaries, ever since primaries have existed in Texas. The Complaint prominently mentions the Idaho Republican Party’s lawsuit that succeeded in getting a closed primary for the Idaho Republican Party. But it does not mention other cases in which federal courts ruled against parties that had filed similar lawsuits. Such cases were filed by the Democratic Parties of Hawaii and Mississippi, and Republican Parties of Montana, Virginia and South Carolina.

The case is assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in the Amarillo Division of the Northern District. More than 95% of all cases filed in that Division go to Judge Kacsmaryk. Republicans frequently file in the Amarillo Division because Judge Kacsmaryk is considered to be strong Republican partisan. One of the plaintiffs lives in that Division; if he weren’t in the case, the case couldn’t be filed in that Division.

U.S. Supreme Court Receives Sixteen Amici Curiae Briefs Asking Court to Strike Down Limit on Party Spending

Posted on by September 3, 2025
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Sixteen amici curiae briefs have been filed in the U.S. Supreme Court in National Republican Senatorial Committee v FEC, 24-621, on the side of striking down the federal law that limits how much money parties can spend on their own nominees, if they are coordinating with their nominees.

One amicus brief is filed by twenty states: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and West Virginia. All these states have Republican Attorneys General.

One brief is filed by the Republican Parties of Alabama, Georgia, and Texas. Another is filed by the Republican Party of Florida.

Other groups that have filed, and argue for striking down the limit, are: Buckeye Institute, Liberty Justice Center, American Center for Law & Justice, CATO Institute, Chamber of Commerce of the US, Advancing American Freedom, the Republican Governors Association, the America First Policy Institute, House Speaker Mike Johnson, former Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican National Committee, and Randy Elf.

Later amici on the other side will be filed.

Some Republicans in Congress Want to Abolish Elections for Attorney General of the District of Columbia

Posted on by September 3, 2025
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In 2010 the voters of the District of Columbia passed an initiative, providing that the voters should elect the Attorney General for the district. Voters have been choosing the Attorney General starting in 2014. Now, bills are being drafted by various Republican members of Congress to eliminate elections for that office. See this Washington Post story.