Four California Political Bodies Don’t Renew Their Status

Posted on by October 3, 2024
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In California, a group that wishes to become a qualified party files to be a political body. Then, election officials keep track of how many people register into such groups, and if they obtain enough registrants, they become qualified. The deadline for being a qualified party for the purpose of being qualified for president was July 5, 2024. No new parties qualified. However, any group that didn’t qualify is free to renew its status as a political body. In that case, it keeps its registrants and can continue the drive.

Four groups did not qualify and have not yet renewed their status as political bodies: No Labels, Justice for All, We the People, and Constitution. It is not surprising that the first three didn’t renew their status. No Labels ceased trying to qualify for ballots months ago. Justice for All had been formed to get Cornel West on the ballot. We the People had been formed to get Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on the ballot.

Because these groups are not political bodies anymore, there is no information in the Secretary of State’s Report of Registration of September 6, which was released on October 1. Here is a link to the September 6 Report. It includes data for two political bodies, Common Sense and Forward.

Common Sense declined from 20,132 members in July, to 19,198. Forward went from 287 to 406.

For the qualified parties, here are the September percentages: Democratic 46.07%; Republican 24.81%; American Independent 3.86%; Libertarian 1.06%; Peace & Freedom .64%; Green .47%.

The percentages in July had been: Democratic 46.19%; Republican 24.73%; American Independent 3.83%; Libertarian 1.07%; Peace & Freedom .64%; Green .47%.

Shiva Ayyadurai Sues Nebraska Over Ballot Access

Posted on by October 1, 2024
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On September 30, independent presidential candidate Shiva Ayyadurai filed a federal lawsuit against the Nebraska Secretary of State. Even though his petition had enough valid signatures, the Secretary of State kept him off because he was born in India. Lauters v Evnen, 4:24cv-03175. The case is assigned to U.S. District Court Judge John Gerrard, an Obama appointee. Here is the Complaint.

No presidential candidate in history has filed so many lawsuits over constitutional qualifications and ballot access. In the distant past, states always put such candidates on the ballot, as happened in 1892 when the Prohibition Party nominated a 33-year old for vice-president. No state kept him off the ballot on the grounds that he didn’t meet the qualifications. That is because in 1892, people undrestood that the true candidates were the candidates for elector. Back then the voters of every state voted for individual candidates for elector.

In 1972, when the Socialist Workers Party nominated Linda Jenness, who was 33 years old, she waged a vigorous legal challenge to the Ohio decision to exclude her. But she lost that case, and did not sue any other states over that issue.

Peta Lindsay, the 2012 nominee of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, also an underage candidate, only filed one lawsuit, in California. When that lost, she did not file any other lawsuits.

But Ayyadurai has now sued New Jersey, Utah, Wisconsin, Tennessee, and Nebraska. His lawsuits always point out that the true candidates are his candidates for presidential elector, and they meet all the qualifications.

Wisconsin Supreme Court Decision in Kennedy Withdrawal Case Did Not Decide Constitutional Issue

Posted on by October 1, 2024
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As already reported, on September 27, the Wisconsin Supreme Court refused to let Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. withdraw from the ballot. Kennedy v Wisconsin Election Commission, 2024 WI37. Here is the 7-page opinion.

Significantly, it did not decide whether it is unconstitutional to give independent candidates less opportunity to withdraw, compared to party nominees. See page five. That matter has not been decided.