On June 29, Better for America, the group of conservatives who hope to recruit an independent presidential candidate and place him or her on ballots, asked to file an amicus brief in Level the Playing Field v Federal Election Commission, one of the two lawsuits on general election presidential debates. Here is a statement from Better for America about its desire to file the brief.

Also on June 29, Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is handling the case, denied permission for Sam Husseini to file an amicus brief. Husseini is a journalist and the founder of VotePact.org. The FEC had asked the judge to deny permission for Husseini to file. It will be interesting to see if the FEC also asks that Better for America be blocked. Thanks to the Independent Voters Network for the news about Better for America.

As previously noted, on June 24 a Virginia delegate to the Republican National convention filed a federal lawsuit against a state law requiring delegates to vote for the presidential candidate (on the first ballot) who polled the most votes in the presidential primary. Judge Robert E. Payne has expedited the case. The briefs on both sides are due Friday, July 1. Here is the amended complaint filed in the case, which is Correll v Herring, e.d., 3:16cv-467. The case has a hearing on July 7, Thursday.

On June 29, the California Assembly Elections Committee passed SB 450 by 5-2. Starting in 2018, the bill would let some counties send ballots in the postal mail to all registered voters. There would no longer be precinct polling places in those counties, but there would be vote centers for people who wish to vote at the polls, or to drop off their voted ballots other than by postal mail. Starting in 2020, the bill would be in effect for the entire state. The two Republicans on the committee voted against the bill. The bill has already passed the Senate.