Texas Asks Fifth Circuit to Stay the U.S. District Court Ruling that Struck Down Restrictions on Voter Registration Drives

Posted on by August 17, 2012
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On August 16, Texas asked the Fifth Circuit to issue a stay in Voting for America v Andrade, 12-40914. On August 17, the voting rights organizations who had filed the lawsuit filed a brief, asking the Fifth Circuit not to issue a stay. The U.S. District Court had struck down several Texas restrictions on voter registration drives. Among the laws struck down was one making it illegal for anyone who doesn’t live in Texas to help register voters in Texas. Here is the state’s brief. Here is the opposing brief from the voter registration organization.

The Fifth Circuit is one of the circuits that has never ruled on in-state residency requirements for petition circulators or registration drive workers. The Fifth Circuit includes Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. None of those three states has ever barred out-of-state petition circulators. Circuits that have struck down in-state residency requirements for petitioners include the Sixth, Seventh, Ninth, and Tenth Circuits. The Eighth Circuit has upheld them, at least in instances at which the plaintiffs couldn’t show real harm.

Only One Presidential Candidate Files in Utah Using the Independent Candidate Procedure

Posted on by August 17, 2012
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The filing deadline for independent presidential petitions has now passed in Utah. The only independent presidential candidate who filed is Gloria LaRiva, the stand-in presidential candidate for the Party for Socialism and Liberation. Utah permits a partisan label for candidates who use the independent procedure.

Qualified parties in Utah are the Democratic, Republican, Constitution, Green, Justice, Libertarian, and Americans Elect Parties.

Four Independent Presidential Petitions Submitted to Tennessee

Posted on by August 17, 2012
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The deadline for independent presidential petitions has passed in Tennessee. Four candidates submitted a petition by the deadline: Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party, Rocky Anderson of the Justice Party, Merlin Miller of American Third Position, and Virgil Goode of the Constitution Party.

The federal courts put the Green Party and the Constitution Party on the ballot this year, so the Green Party and the Constitution Party didn’t need to petition for their presidential candidates. But because Tennessee election officials have hinted they don’t believe the court order applies to presidential nominees, the Constitution Party did the independent petition for Goode just to be safe.

Scientific Study Finds that When 10% of a Population have an Unshakeable Position on a Social Issue, that Position Will Eventually Prevail

Posted on by August 17, 2012
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Approximately a year ago, scientists at the Social Cognitive Networks Academic Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute published a paper, which is described in this article. The findings are that when at least 10% of a population comes to an unshakeable conviction about a social issue, that idea will eventually prevail and be adopted by a majority. See here. Thanks to Phil Berg for the link. The theory has important implications for people who study dissident political movements, including minor parties.