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.

On December 8, U.S. District Court Judge William K. Sessions cleared the way for the Vermont Progressive Party and some of its candidates to proceed in a campaign finance case. Corren v Sorrell, 2:15cv-58. Dean Corren had been the party’s nominee for Lieutenant Governor in 2014. After the election was over, Vermont state officials said Corren must pay $72,000, consisting of a fine and a refund of all the public funding he had received in 2014. The reason was that a Democratic Party official had sent an e-mail, inviting persons on her e-mail list to attend a rally at which Corren would be speaking. The Democratic Party did not have its own nominee for Lieutenant Governor in 2014, and instead cross-nominated Corren.

The state claimed the e-mail was an illegal campaign contribution.

The recent procedural ruling says Corren can maintain his federal lawsuit on some points, even though a case is pending against him in state court. Furthermore, it says David Zuckerman may intervene in the case to raise the points that Corren can’t. Zuckerman wants to run for Lieutenant Governor as a Progressive in 2016. Zuckerman is also permitted to challenge another Vermont law which says candidates who receive public funding may not announce until February 15 of the election year.

If Corren wins the case, he will seek the Progressive Party nomination for Governor in 2016. A hearing will be held in the case on January 24 at 9:30 a.m. See this story.