This article describes new scientific research that an individual’s political leanings can be known with a brain scan. Thanks to Thomas Jones for the link.
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The editor of the Norwich Bulletin has this column, deploring Connecticut’s discriminatory public funding law for candidates for state office. The column also laments that there are no bills pending to ease the discriminatory aspect of the public funding program. Nominees of parties that polled 20% for Governor in the last election get full public funding with no petition, but independent candidates, and the nominees of new parties, need a petition of 20% of the last vote cast in order to get public funding (they must also raise the same number of small contributions that major party members also must raise).
The OSCE, the organization that monitors human rights in Europe and North America, has issued its report on the U.S. election of November 2012. See it here. Pages 11-12 mention ballot access, and cite to studies and recommendations from the past that say petitions to get on the ballot should not exceed 1% of the number of voters. Thanks to Election Updates for the link.
On Thursday, February 21, a Maryland legislative committee hears testimony on sixteen bills related to elections. See this story. None of the bill concern ballot access for candidates or parties, although one of the bills would make it more difficult to put a referendum on the ballot.
The U.S. Supreme Court has set a conference date of March 15 to decide whether to hear Libertarian Party v District of Columbia Board of Elections, 12-836. This is the case on whether election officials must count write-in votes for declared presidential write-in candidates. It stems from the 2008 election, when the Libertarian Party was not on the ballot in D.C. and its presidential nominee, Bob Barr, filed to be a declared write-in candidate. The Board refused to count his write-ins, even though he was the only declared write-in presidential candidate in 2008.
The lower court said the interest of election officials in saving time and bother is more important than the right of all voters to have their valid votes counted.
So far, the D.C. Board of Elections has not even responded to the Libertarian Party’s cert petition. If the U.S. Supreme Court is interested in the case, it will almost certainly ask the D.C. Board to file a response. That would happen in the next two or three weeks.
The U.S. Supreme Court has also set a new conference date to consider whether to hear Danielczyk v U.S., 12-579, on whether it is constitutional to ban all corporations from making any contributions to candidates for federal office. That conference date is February 22.