“An Informational Guide to the 2016 Presidential Election Process” Available Free On-Line

Nick Kachiroubas, an associate teaching professor at DePaul University, has compiled a 20-page publication “An Informational Guide to the 2016 Presidential Election Process.” See it here. It is useful for anyone who wants to know more about the processes used by Democratic and Republican candidates for President. For example, it has the formula by which each of the two major parties allegate delegates at the national convention to particular states. It explains the rules for delegates to the two major party conventions.

But the publication is not well-named, because it has no information whatsoever on the process for people running outside the two major parties. The author even writes, “If the Republican presidential candidate receives 50.01% or more of the popular vote in Ohio on November 8, 2016, then all 18 of the Republican presidential electors are duly elected to the Electoral College.” Neither Ohio or any other state requires slates of presidential elector candidates to receive at least 50% of the popular vote in order to be elected.

In Ohio alone, the winning slate of presidential electors did not receive a majority of the popular vote in 2000, 1996, 1992, 1976, 1968, 1948, 1932, 1912, 1892, 1888, 1856, 1852, 1848, 1844, or 1824.

Jeb Bush is First Republican to File Delegate Candidates in Ohio Presidential Primary

Ohio presidential primary candidates automatically appear on the ballot if they had raised enough money to qualify for primary season matching funds (they don’t actually need to file for the funds). But their candidates for Delegate each need 50 signatures. On December 11, Jeb Bush became the first Republican presidential candidate to file petitions for delegate. See this story. These petitions are due on Wednesday, December 16.

North Carolina Lawsuit Against Retention Elections for State Supreme Court Justices

On December 7, attorney Sabra Faires filed a lawsuit in North Carolina state court against a new law that says State Supreme Court Justices need not run against opposing candidates when their eight-year terms expire. The law says instead that voters will simply be asked if the particular justice should be retained or not. Faires says the State Constitution does not authorize such retention elections, and that the Constitution plainly requires actual elections. See this story. The case is Faires v North Carolina State Board of Elections, and is in Wake County Superior Court.

Prohibition Party Now a Qualified Party in Mississippi

The Mississippi Secretary of State has approved the Prohibition Party’s request to be a qualified party in that state. The 2016 election will be the first election since 1896 in which the Prohibition Party’s presidential candidate has appeared on the Mississippi ballot.

The party has also finished its New Jersey petition. Assuming it is approved, 2016 will be the first election since 1976 that the party’s presidential nominee has been on in that state.