On April 15, the Arizona Democratic Party, and the national Democratic Party, and some Arizona voters filed a federal lawsuit against several Arizona restrictions on voting, include the law making it illegal for anyone to deliver more than a few voted absentee ballots, and the law making all provisional ballots void if they are not cast in the precinct where the voter lives. Feldman v Arizona Secretary of State’s office, 2:16cv-1065. The case also sues the Maricopa County elections office.

Other plaintiffs are some voters in the recent presidential primary. One plaintiff had to wait almost five hours with her infant and toddler, standing in line. Several other plaintiffs were not able to vote at all.

The basis of the lawsuit is Section Two of the Voting Rights Act, and the First and Fourteenth Amendments. The case is assigned by Judge Douglas L. Rayes, an Obama appointee. Here is the Complaint. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the link.

On April 12, Tricia Weathers, a registered Libertarian, was elected to the Box Elder, South Dakota city council. This is thought to be the first time any member of a party other than the Democratic or Republican Parties has won an election in South Dakota for at least 80 years. Thanks to Paul Frankel for this news.

On April 13, the Independent Voters Project filed this amicus curiae brief in Level the Playing Field v FEC, one of the two pending lawsuits that seeks to open up the general election presidential debates to more than just the Republican and Democratic nominees.