Arkansas Lawsuit Filed to Overturn Many Restrictions on the Initiative Process

Posted on by April 22, 2025
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On April 21, the Arkansas League of Women Voters filed a federal lawsuit to overturn many new restrictions on the initiative process, as well as some old restrictions. League of Women Voters of Arkansas v Jester, w.d., 5:25cv-5087.

The lawsuit attacks the in-state residency requirement for initiative petitioners, the new law that tells petitioners that they can’t accept a signature until the petitioner has seen the signer’s photo ID; the new law that says the names and addresses of paid circulators must be submitted before they can work and this information will be a public record; the new law that requires circulators to read the entire description of the initiative to anyone who is approached; the new law that requires circulators to tell everyone they approach that “petition fraud” is a crime; and many other restrictions.

The case is assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Timothy L. Brooks, an Obama appointee.

U.S. Supreme Court Boosts the Ohio Initiative Process

Posted on by April 22, 2025
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On April 22, the U.S. Supreme Court ended the stay in Brown v Yost, 24A970. This is a win for the initiative process. The issue is whether Ohio violates the First Amendment by stifling initiatives before they can begin. Ohio says the petition can’t proceed until the Attorney General approves the description of the initiative that will be printed on the petition. The U.S. District Court had enjoined the system after the Ohio Attorney General rejected eight versions of the language, which wasted so much time, the initiative couldn’t be circulated.

Then the U.S.. District Court had stayed its own order. But recently, the Sixth Circuit voted 2-1 to dismiss the stay. But then on April 10 the U.S. Supreme Court had temporarily restored the stay. Now, today, the Court has ended the stay. The vote was 6-3. Justice Sam Alito, Clarence Thomas, and Brett Kavanaugh would have kept the stay in place.

New Arizona Registration Data

Posted on by April 22, 2025
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The Arizona Secretary of State has released April 2025 registration data. The percentages are: Republican 35.90%; Democratic 28.64%; No Labels .82%; Libertarian .7145%; Green .11%; independent and other 33.82%.

The previous tally, January 2025, had these percentages: Republican 35.93%; Democratic 28.89%; No Labels .78%; Libertarian .7139%; Green .11%; independent and other 33.59%.

It is ironic that Arizona No Labels registration continues to rise, even as everyone is waiting for the Ninth Circuit to decide whether registered members of the party will be allowed to run for office in the 2026 No Labels primary.

The April 2025 tally is the first one in which Libertarian registration hadn’t declined, since 2022.