On June 21, the Ohio Libertarian Party filed its opening brief in the Sixth Circuit in Libertarian Party of Ohio v Husted, 16-3537. The party lists these issues for the court to decide: (1) Whether the Ohio Republican Party engaged in state action within the meaning of U.S. 42 USC 1983 when it selectively enforced an Ohio law and sabotaged the Libertarian Party’s primary; (2) whether Ohio’s Chair of its Personnel Review Board engaged in state action when he selectively enforced an Ohio law and sabotaged LPO’s primary; (3) Whether the Secretary’s Chief Elections Officer engaged in an unlawful conspiracy to selectively remove LPO’s gubernatorial candidate from LPO’s 2014 primary; (4) whether Ohio’s Senate Bill 193 violates the Equal Protection Clause by providing only to some recognized political parties a mechanism for registering members; (5) whether Ohio waived its 11th amendment immunity by voluntarily intervening and actively defending SB 193.
Bill Kristol on June 21 said he estimates an 85% probability that Donald Trump will be the Republican presidential nominee. Kristol was speaking to a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco.
Florida will hold a statewide primary for the Libertarian Party on August 30, for U.S. Senate. The candidates are Augustus Invictus and Paul Stanton. Here is a link to the list of primary candidates so far. The list may grow, because the filing deadline is June 24. Thanks to Rich Moroney for the link.
Florida has not held a statewide primary for any party, other than the Democratic and Republican Parties, since 1920. Although technically all parties nominate by primary in Florida (if they qualify in time for the primary), no primary is actually held unless at least two candidates for the same office file. A few years ago Florida held a Libertarian primary, but it was just for one state house district.
The California Secretary of State’s web page for election returns from June 2016 now shows that Preston Picus placed second for U.S. House, 12th district, behind Democrat Nancy Pelosi and ahead of Republican candidate Bob Miller. The June 21 results are: Picus 16,581; Miller 16,546. This will be the first time in history that no Republican has been on the ballot for U.S. House in the San Francisco-based district.
There will be eight U.S. House races in November in California with no Republican on the ballot. This is somewhat similar to 2014, when there were 9 such districts.
Great Britain will use simple paper ballots, marked by pen, for the June 23 referendum on whether the country should leave the European Union. Nothing else is on the ballot. See here for a picture of the ballot (scroll down), and to read who is eligible to vote. The polls are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thanks to Thomas Jones for the link.