On Friday, December 18, the Bernie Sanders campaign filed a federal lawsuit against the Democratic National Committee, charging that the party was in breach of contract for cutting off the campaign’s access to the party’s voter list. On the evening of December 18, the party said it would restore Sanders’ access to its voter list. The case is Bernie 2016, Inc. v DNC Services Corporation, d/b/a/ Democratic National Committee, 1:15cv-2211. The case had been filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., and is assigned to Judge Tanya Chutkan, an Obama appointee. Sanders has not dismissed his lawsuit.

Sanders’ Complaint quotes the agreement between the party and the campaign: “Either party may terminate this Agreement in the event that the other party breaches this Agreement; the non-breaching party sends written notice to the breaching party describing the breach; and the breaching party does not cure the breach to the satisfaction of the non-breaching party within 10 days following its receipt of such notice.”

Sanders argues the party violated the agreement by cutting off his access immediately, instead of waiting 10 days. The party had curtailed his access because some employees of the Sanders campaign had discovered a method to briefly see some voter files that the Clinton campaign had sent to the party. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the link to the Complaint.

Arizona voters defeated an initiative for a top-two system in 2012, by a margin slightly greater than 2:1. It has been reported for some months that the backers of that initiative would try again in 2016. However, the proposed new initiative has not yet been drafted. According to this story, the backers aren’t sure they even will get it on the 2016 ballot.

Also, former Phoenix Mayor Paul Johnson, the chief backer, is not certain what system he will put on the ballot. Initially he had said it would be to provide for non-partisan elections for Congress and state office, but no decision about that has been made. It is possible that the initiative will instead make it easier for independent candidates to get on the general election ballot. Currently, Arizona requires more signatures for independent candidates for Governor and U.S. Senator to get on the ballot than any other states except Texas, North Carolina, Georgia, and Maryland. The petition requirements in Georgia and Maryland are currently under legal challenge.

Fourteen Republican presidential candidates, and three Democratic presidential candidates, will appear on the Tennessee major party presidential primary ballots. See the list here.

The most crowded past Republican presidential primary ballot had ten names on it. Tennessee presidential candidates are put on the ballot automatically if they are discussed in the news media. Also candidates can submit 2,500 signatures, but no one did that this year.