Massachusetts Forward Party Holds Organizing Meeting

Posted on by May 5, 2025
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On May 4, the Massachusetts Forward Party held its founding convention. See this story. It hopes to be a ballot-qualified party by the 2028 election. To do that, it either needs to increase its registration to 1% of the state total, or to run a candidate for a statewide office in 2026 who receives 3% of the vote.

The meeting was hosted by Kerry Healey, who was the Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts 2002-2006, and the Republican nominee for Governor in 2006. She is the Executive Chair of the national Forward Party.

New Jersey Litigation Over Primary Ballot Format Still Isn’t Over

Posted on by May 5, 2025
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Even though a U.S. District Court enjoined the old New Jersey ballot format for primary elections last year, the lawsuit continues. Plaintiffs want a permanent injunction that the old format is unconstitutional. Some of the Defendants and intervenors, including the Democratic Party of Camden County, insist that the lawsuit is now moot and no such order is needed.

On April 23,, the plaintiffs filed a brief in favor of a further court order. Kim v Hanlon, 3:24cv-1098. The old primary ballot format put the candidates favored by the party organizations in a better spot on the primary ballot, and let the party-endorsed candidates all in the same favorable column.

Second Circuit Refuses to Let Independent Candidate for Mayor of New York Use “Independence” as His Ballot Label

Posted on by May 2, 2025
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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.

Kansas Now Requires Minor Party Nominees to Submit a Notarized Declaration of Candidacy

Posted on by May 2, 2025
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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.