The Sacramento Press Club, a non-profit public benefit educational corporation, is hosting a debate for candidates for California Secretary of State at noon on April 23 (Wednesday). However, so far, the Press Club has not invited David Curtis, Green Party candidate, even though the Press Club has invited two other candidates who have less voter support than Curtis, according to the April 10 California Poll.

The Press Club has invited Dan Schnur, independent, who was at 4% in that poll, as well as Derek Cressman, Democrat, who was at 3% in the same poll. Here is the letter that Curtis’s attorney has sent to the Press Club, pointing out that federal law requires debate sponsors to use objective criteria when they decide which candidates to invite into debates. Paradoxically, Curtis is a member of the Sacramento Press Club and he will be at the event, either in the audience or possibly as a late-entry into the debate. UPDATE: here is a news story.

The first two briefs have been filed in U.S. District Court in Moore v Martin, the case challenging the March petition deadline that the 2013 session of the Arkansas legislature passed. Here is the Defendants’ brief, arguing that the case should be dismissed for various procedural matters, and here is the plaintiffs’ brief rebutting the state’s brief.

On April 18, the Nevada Green Party filed a lawsuit against the April 11 petition deadline for newly-qualifying parties. Green Party of Nevada v Miller, 3:14cv-210. The state requires a petition signed by 9,738 valid signatures. When a party qualifies, it nominates by convention, not by primary, so there seems to be no election administration-related reason to require the signatures so early in the year. The Nevada petition deadline for independent presidential candidates is in July, and requires approximately the same number of signatures.

Twice before, Nevada has had an early petition deadline for newly-qualifying parties struck down, or enjoined. In 1986 the Libertarian Party won a case against the April petition deadline, so the 1987 legislature moved the deadline to June. In 1992, the New Alliance, Natural Law, and Populist Parties won injunctive relief against the June deadline, so the legislature moved the deadline to July. However, years later, the state moved the deadline back to April again. Also, in 2011, the legislature repealed the easy method for the nominees of unqualified parties to get on the ballot. That easy method required only 250 signatures for a statewide candidate, but it was repealed after the Tea Party placed a nominee for U.S. Senate on the 2010 ballot.

The Coalition for Free & Open Elections (COFOE) contributed $1,000 toward the expenses of this lawsuit.