Alabama requires political parties to certify the names of their nominees by July 30. In Marshall County and Jackson County, the county organizations of both parties failed to meet this deadline. See this story. The Secretary of State seems to be saying that county election officials should decide what to do about this. Thanks to Joshua Cassity for the link.
On July 29, Washington, D.C., Mayor Vincent Gray signed Bill 20-0574, which permanently eliminates the D.C. residency requirement for petitioners. Last year the city had passed a temporary measure eliminating the residency requirement, but the new legislation is permanent. The temporary bill expires October 3, 2014. The reason the Council first passed a temporary measure, followed by a permanent measure, is that it was easier for the temporary measure to take effect immediately.
Jason Dore, executive director of the Louisiana Republican Party, and Stephen Handwerk, executive director of the Louisiana Democratic Party, have this column in The Advertiser, daily newspaper in Lafayette, Louisiana. The column explains how federal campaign finance laws inhibit state political parties. Thanks to the Center for Competitive Politics for the link.
On July 21, 2014, the California State Appeals Court, Third District, again ruled that the Secretary of State does not have the duty to check the qualifications of presidential candidates before placing them on the ballot. Dummett v Bowen, C073763. Here is the six-page decision.
The decision mentions the Ninth Circuit opinion Lindsay v Bowen, 750 F.3d 1061 (2014), which says that the Secretary of State may keep presidential candidates off the ballot if she believes they do not meet the constitutional qualifications. But the Dummett decision says that while the Secretary of State may have the power to exclude unqualified presidential candidates, it does not follow logically that she must therefore investigate those qualifications. Thanks to Bill Van Allen for the link.
On August 4, independent gubernatorial candidate Michael Myers of South Dakota filed a federal lawsuit against the Secretary of State. The purpose of the lawsuit is to let Myers replace his original Lieutenant Governor running mate with a new candidate. The South Dakota law lets qualified parties make such substitutions, but does not have the same flexibility for independent candidates. Myers v Gant, 4:14cv-4121. The case was assigned to Judge Lawrence Piersol, a Clinton appointee.
The original Lieutenant Governor candidate, named on the petition, initially expected to stay on the ticket, but her personal circumstances changed.
