May 2 was the deadline for Florida candidates to file a declaration of candidacy and the filing fee, for Congress. Here is a link to the candidate list. There are six U.S. House districts without a Democratic-Republican contest: Democrats failed to file anyone in four districts, and Republicans in two districts. By comparison, in 2012, there were also six U.S. House districts without a Democratic-Republican contest.

In 2014, there are Libertarians in two districts; in 2012, there was a Libertarian in only one district. No other parties are running any candidates for Congress.

In 2014, seven districts have independent candidates; in 2012, there were twelve districts with independent candidates. In the 13th district, the Democratic Party is supporting an independent candidate, Ed Jany. The order of the candidates on the November ballot in the 13th district will be: Republican David W. Jolly, Libertarian Lucas Overby, independent Ed Jany.

For state office, the deadline is not until June. Nevertheless, many candidates for state office have already filed, and they are also on the state’s web page. For the statewide races, so far, the Libertarian, Socialist, and Independent Parties each have a candidate for Governor. Libertarians have a candidate for Attorney General, the first minor party candidate for that office in the ballot since 1912. There are two Libertarians running against each other for Governor, John Wayne Smith and Adrian Wyllie, so the state will hold a statewide minor party primary for the first time in Florida history.

Kentucky law says the list of registered voters is public information. However, in 2013, the legislature passed a law saying the names and the temporary addresses of absentee voters cannot be released until after the election is over. On May 1, a U.S. District Court refused to enjoin the law, in a lawsuit filed by a Republican candidate for the legislature.

The candidate, Deborah Sheldon, wanted the list of absentee voters before the primary, so she could mail campaign literature to them. She reasoned that people who have gone to the trouble of ordering an absentee ballot are especially likely to vote. She filed a federal lawsuit, alleging that the First Amendment protects her right to get the list. However, Judge David L. Bunning said that the First Amendment, by itself, has never been interpreted to mean that the government must disclose any particular type of information.

The state argued that the list should not be released, partly because southeastern Kentucky has a recent tradition of vote-buying. Individuals who bribe voters to vote a certain way are especially advantaged when voters vote absentee, because then the vote-buyer can watch the voter mark the ballot. The decision says that if the candidate has a right to the list, then it follows that everyone else would have a right to the list also. Sheldon v Grimes, eastern district, civ 14-60. Thanks to Rick Hasen for this news.