Ballot Access News
September 1, 2013 – Volume 29, Number 4

1. FIVE NEW PAPERS ISSUED ON RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PRIMARY SYSTEMS AND POLARIZATION
2. NEW MEXICO REMOVES CONSTITUTION AND GREEN PARTIES
3. COLORADO LIBERTARIANS WIN BALLOT ACCESS CASE
4. COLORADO REMOVES AMERICANS ELECT FROM BALLOT
5. ELECTION BIILS SIGNED
6. LAWSUIT NEWS
7. 2013 PARTY REVENUE FROM STATE INCOME TAX “CHECK-OFF”
8. TOTALS FOR THE ENTIRE NATION THROUGH HISTORY, 2000-2013
9. CINDY SHEEHAN TO RUN FOR CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR
10. FEC RELEASES 2012 ELECTION RETURNS
11. SOCIALIST POLLS WELL IN SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL-AT-LARGE ELECTION
12. LIBERTARIAN WINS A PARTISAN ELECTION BY DEFAULT
13. DETROIT WRITE-IN CANDIDATE PLACES FIRST IN MAYORAL ELECTION
14. NEW JERSEY ELECTIONS
15. 2014 PETITIONING
16. 2012 DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL NOMINEE JOINS GREEN PARTY
17. SUBSCRIBING TO BAN WITH PAYPAL
    

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On September 27, the Supreme Court of India issued a ruling, saying the Indian Constitution requires that voters be given a chance to case a vote for “None of the above”, when voters are electing candidates to public office. See this story. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the link.

Last year, the Justice Party filed a lawsuit against the Hawaii deadline for newly-qualifying parties. That deadline is in February of the election year. The case is Justice Party v Nago, U.S. District Court, 1:12cv-403. Hawaii is considering whether to re-interpret its law on independent presidential candidate ballot access so that the procedure also includes new political parties. The petition deadline for independent presidential candidates is quite late (early September of the election year).

If the Hawaii law on independent presidential candidates were interpreted to apply equally to the presidential nominees of unqualified parties, that would moot the case. The purpose of the Justice Party’s lawsuit was to get its presidential nominee on the ballot (with the party label), not nominees for other office. If Hawaii does re-interpret its law, then in future presidential elections, new or previously unqualified parties would then be able to place their presidential nominees, with the party label, on the ballot, with a petition that has a deadline in the later summer of election laws.