Cornel West Files Amended Complaint in Pennsylvania Ballot Access Case

Posted on by February 13, 2025
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On February 7, Cornel West filed this amended complaint in his Pennsylvania ballot access lawsuit, West v Pennsylvania Department of State, w.d., 2:24cv-1349. The case challenges the unequal state requirements for presidential elector candidates. If a party has 15% of the registration, its candidates for presidential elector need file nothing. Instead the party files a list of their names and addresses.

But everyone else must have a full slate of presidential elector candidates, and each presidential elector candidate must submit a notarized declaration of candidacy. This rule kept Cornel West, Claudia De la Cruz, and Randall Terry off the ballot last year.

U.S. Senate Confirms Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. for Cabinet

Posted on by February 13, 2025
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On February 13, the U.S. Senate voted 52-48 to confirm Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as the Secretary of Health and Human Services. As far as is known, this is the first time in history when an independent or minor party presidential candidate became a member of a President’s Cabinet, after having run for president outside the two major parties.

Washington State Bill is Amended to Delete Provision Requiring Petitions to Get on Primary Ballot

Posted on by February 12, 2025
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On February 11, the Washington State Senate Committee on State Government, Tribal Affairs and Elections amended SB 5225 and passed it. The original bill added a provision for mandatory petitions for candidates to get on a primary ballot. But the Committee deleted that provision and passed it. Now it only deals with cases when two candidates with the same name are on the ballot for the same office. Thanks to Darryl Perry for this news.

New Massachusetts Registration Data

Posted on by February 12, 2025
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The Massachusetts Secretary of State has released registration data for February 1, 2025.

The number of registered members of various minor parties (none of whom are ballot-qualified) are: Libertarian 15,672; United Independents 12,788; Green 3,545; Socialist 1,770; Working Families 753; Pirate 721; Constitution 289; Workers 219; Natural Law 52; Forward 35; Prohibition 22.

TWo years ago, the same parties had these figures: Libertarian 16,548; United Independent 14,469; Green 3,599;Socialist 1,615; Working Families 722; Constitution 292; Workers 183; Natural Law 54; Prohibition 19. The figures for February 2024 for the Pirate Party and the Forward Party are unknown.