A handful of states, including California, send pamphlets to all registered voters in advance of an election that include information about candidates for state office. The California Official Voter Information Guide has been mailed to all registered voters. Surprisingly, 40% of the candidates for one of the seven partisan statewide offices did not submit a statement for this booklet. Candidates must pay $25 per word for their statements, but that is a bargain, considering that the booklet is send to approximately 17,700,000 voters.

Some incumbents who are running for re-election did not submit a statement: Jerry Brown for Governor, Gavin Newson for Lieutenant Governor, and Kamala Harris for Attorney General. Also, some major party candidates who are thought likely to either win, or at least place second, also did not submit a statement: John A. Perez (current speaker of the Assembly) for Controller, Greg Conlon (the only Republican for Treasurer), Phil Wyman (the Republican for Attorney General who has the most name recognition of any Republican running for that office).

All the minor party candidates for statewide office submitted candidate statements, except for Jena Goodman, the Green running for Lieutenant Governor. To read the candidate statements, use this link.

On April 25, the Seventh Circuit upheld Chicago’s ballot access, that candidates for citywide office need 12,500 signatures. Other restrictions are that the signatures must be gathered within 90 days and that no one can sign for more than one candidate for a particular office.

Chicago holds non-partisan elections for its own offices. Here is the 15-page decision in Stone v Board of Election Commissioners, 13-2733.

On April 25, Lorence Wenke, who was a Michigan State Representative 2002-2008, announced that he will seek the Libertarian nomination for State Senate. See this story. Wenke was also on the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners 1994-2002. In his past election races, he was the Republican nominee. He has left the Republican Party because it continues to oppose same-sex marriage.

The Michigan Libertarian Party nominates by convention. The nominating convention is set for May 17 in Howell.