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.
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.
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.
According to this story, U.S. Senator Mike Lee will attempt to qualify for the Utah Republican Party primary ballot by collecting approximately 28,000 signatures of registered Republicans. Utah law on how candidates get on a primary ballot is unsettled just now.
The Massachusetts Green Party presidential primary on March 1 will list five candidates: Darryl Cherney, Sedinam Kinamo Christin Moyowasifza Curry, William Kreml, Kent Mesplay, and Jill Stein. See this post at Green Party Watch.
The party tells the Massachusetts Secretary of State which names to list. No petition or fee is required.
In 2012, the Massachusetts Green Party presidential primary had three candidates: Kent Mesplay, Harley Mikkelson, and Jill Stein.
In 2008, the Massachusetts Green primary had six candidates: Jared Ball, Elaine Brown, Cynthia McKinney, Kent Mesplay, Ralph Nader, and Kat Swift.
In 2004, that primary had four candidates: David Cobb, Paul Glover, Kent Mesplay, and Lorna Salzman.
