The Alabama Secretary of State has developed a habit this year of releasing a press release when any Republican or Democratic presidential candidate announces a visit to Alabama. See here for the Secretary’s press release concerning Ted Cruz, and here for the Secretary’s press release concerning Hillary Clinton and Marco Rubio. One wonders if the Secretary of State puts out press released when presidential candidates who are running outside the two major parties visits Alabama.
Spain held a parliamentary election on Sunday, December 20. Exit polls show that Podemas, a new political party, received the second-highest number of votes. See this story. Thanks to Andrew Gripp for this news.
Michigan says candidates discussed in the news media automatically appear on presidential primary ballots. Also, candidates may qualify by petition. The petition requirement is one-half of 1% of that party’s last general election presidential vote.
Rocky De La Fuente did not get put on the Michigan presidential primary ballot automatically, so he circulated a petition, which was submitted earlier this month. He needs 12,823 valid signatures and he submitted 20,166. Michigan does not have registration by party, so any registered voter may sign. See this story, which says that if he qualifies, he will be the first presidential candidate in history to get on a Michigan presidential primary ballot by petition.
Journalist Abby Martin interviewed Ralph Nader recently. Here is a link to the 25-minute filmed interview. At the nine minute mark, Nader explains the National Popular Vote Plan and says the public should be more aware that the plan is more than halfway toward being implemented. Nader had previously endorsed the plan, but the plan hasn’t had much publicity during 2015.
Later on in the interview, Nader says, “I don’t think Donald Trump is going to be the Republican nominee.” Thanks to Paullie for the link.
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.
