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1787 Party Will Attempt to Petition for Party Status in Texas This Year

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Richard WingerJanuary 13, 2014

The 1787 Party has notified the Texas Secretary of State that it will attempt to qualify for the 2014 ballot. That will take 49,729 valid signatures of voters who did not vote in the March 2014 primary. The petitioning period starts in March and ends on May 20.

The founder of The 1787 Party, Emily Mathews, now lives in New York, but she earlier lived in Texas and ran for public office in Texas. According to the party’s web page, www.1787foramerica.org, the party will try to get on the ballot in at least two other states besides Texas in 2014.

Other groups that filed the notice are: Constitution, Christian, Compassion, and “People of Purple Interdependently Thinking Reform.”

Michigan’s Republican Governor and Key Republican Legislators Refuse to Rule Out Changing Electoral College Rules

Posted on January 12, 2014 by Richard WingerJanuary 12, 2014

This Detroit Free Press article says that Michigan’s Republican Governor, Rick Snyder, and key Republican legislative leaders, refused to disavoy the idea that the Republican-majority legislature might pass a bill, letting each U.S. House district choose its own presidential elector. Thanks to Thomas Jones for the link.

The article should have mentioned that Michigan has a referendum process, and if such a bill passed, the Democratic Party of Michigan and its allies are capable to qualifying a referendum vote on the bill.

Briefing Schedule Set in South Carolina Republican Lawsuit on Open Primary

Posted on January 12, 2014 by Richard WingerJanuary 12, 2014

The Fourth Circuit has set a briefing schedule in Greenville County Republican Party v Greenville County Election Commission, 13-2170. This is the lawsuit filed by the Greenville County Republican Party, which wants to nominate its candidates in a primary that is only open to Republicans. The party’s brief is due January 27, 2014; the government’s response is due February 28; the party’s reply brief is due March 14.

The somewhat similar case filed by the Hawaii Democratic Party, pending in the Ninth Circuit, is not as far along as the South Carolina case. The Ninth Circuit still hasn’t made a determination that the Hawaii lawsuit can’t be settled by arbitration.

Ohio Attorney General, in Past, Has Suggested Law Banning False Campaign Statements has Constitutional Problems

Posted on January 12, 2014 by Richard WingerJanuary 12, 2014

As noted on January 10, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a case that challenges Ohio’s law that makes it illegal to make a false statement in an election campaign. According to this Columbus Dispatch story, in the recent past, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine has said in legal briefs that the Ohio law has constitutional problems. Yet, now it is his duty to defend the law. It is conceivable that the 2014 legislature might repeal or amend the law before the case is heard, however. Probably the U.S. Supreme Court hearing will be in April 2014.

Cleveland Plain Dealer Applauds Ohio U.S. District Court Ruling of January 7 that Put Minor Parties on Ballot

Posted on January 12, 2014 by Richard WingerJanuary 12, 2014

The Cleveland Plain Dealer has this editorial, praising the U.S. District Court decision of January 7 that put Ohio’s minor parties back on the ballot for 2014.