Maine Legislature Tentatively Passes Distribution Requirement for Initiative Petitions

Posted on by June 10, 2015
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On June 8 the Maine Senate tentatively passed LD 742, and on June 9 the Maine House also passed it. It asks the voters if they wish to amend the State Constitution, to require that initiative petitions obtain the signatures of voters in each of the two U.S. House districts. Maine initiatives need the signatures of 10% of the last gubernatorial vote. The bill would ask the voters to change this to 10% in each of the two districts.

As originally introduced, the bill would have required signatures from each county, but that was scrapped because it violates the U.S. Supreme Court precedent Moore v Ogilvie. Statewide petitions cannot have distribution requirements based on counties, because counties are unequal in population. Thanks to Thomas MacMillan for this news.

Deadline Passes for Independent Candidates, and the Nominees of Unqualified Parties, to Run for Virginia Legislature

Posted on by June 10, 2015
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Virginia is holding legislative elections for both houses of the legislature on November 3, 2015. The only qualified parties in Virginia are the Democratic and Republican Parties. Other candidates were required to submit petitions by 7 pm, Tuesday, June 9. The Virginia State Board of Elections says a list of such candidates will be posted on its web page by June 22.

The Virginia Libertarian Party web page lists five legislative candidates who petitioned. The other two parties that usually have legislative candidates in Virginia, the Independent Green Party and the Green Party, probably also have some candidates who petitioned. If anyone knows, please comment.

Michigan Ballot Access Case Plaintiff Asks for Rehearing from Sixth Circuit

Posted on by June 10, 2015
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Matt Erard, the Socialist Party member-plaintiff, has asked for reconsideration in Erard v Michigan Secretary of State, 14-1873. This is the case that challenges the Michigan law that requires approximately twice as much support for a newly-qualifying party to get on the ballot than is required for an already-qualified party to stay on.

Maine Makes it Illegal for an Out-of-Stater to Ask Voters if they Wish to Sign an Initiative or Referendum Petition

Posted on by June 9, 2015
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On May 24, Maine LD 176 became law. The legislature had passed it on May 5 and Governor Paul LePage let it become law without signing it, but also not vetoing it. Here is the text of the law. Maine already didn’t permit out-of-staters do witness signatures being made on the petition, but now they can’t even ask voters to sign it. There is a very high probability this law is unconstitutional. Thanks to Thomas MacMillan for the news.