Libertarian Party Wins Colorado State Court Lawsuit over Petition Deadline in Special Legislative Elections

Posted on by August 13, 2013
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On the evening of August 12, a state court in Colorado ruled in favor of the Libertarian Party, in the lawsuit over the deadline for candidates to get on the ballot for the upcoming September special State Senate elections. See this story. The new deadline for candidates to get on the ballot is August 26. A statute had said the deadline was at the end of July, but the State Constitution says the deadline is ten days before the election.

The decision apparently means that the election will still be held on September 10, but that voters will vote at the polls, instead of by all-mail ballot.

Lawsuit Filed Against Three Provisions of North Carolina New Omnibus Election Law Bill

Posted on by August 12, 2013
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On August 12, a lawsuit was filed against three provisions of the North Carolina omnibus election law bill that had been signed a few hours before the lawsuit was filed. The case is League of Women Voters of North Carolina v State of North Carolina, middle district, U.S. District Court. It challenges: (1) the reduction in days in which early voting is in effect (the bill reduces the early voting period from 17 days to 10 days); (2) the elimination of the ability of individuals to register to vote at the polling station during the early voting period; (3) the new law that says provisional ballots are void if they are turned in to a polling place that is different from the polling place that serves that voter’s neighborhood.

The basis for the lawsuit is that those three provisions violate the Voting Rights Act, and also the 14th amendment to the Constitution. The complaint alleges that statistical data shows that all three provisions will have more impact on African-American voters than other voters.

Here is the complaint. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the link.

North Carolina Governor Signs Omnibus Election Law Bill

Posted on by August 12, 2013
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On the afternoon of August 12, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrary signed HB 589, the omnibus election law bill. There will now certainly be one or more lawsuits to overturn various parts of the bill. The bill has many provisions that make it more difficult for voters to vote.

There are a few minor ballot access improvements in the bill. The petition in lieu of the filing fee is reduced somewhat. The bill also deletes the requirement that presidential primary candidates must either receive public funding or submit 10,000 signatures, although that restriction had not been enforced in 2012 because it was believed to be unconstitutional.

The bill also eliminates the straight-ticket device. Only twelve states still have the device.

The bill also moves the presidential primary from May to an earlier month that is determined by when South Carolina holds its presidential primary.

Working Families Party Hopes to Increase its Representation on Bridgeport School Board

Posted on by August 12, 2013
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Bridgeport, Connecticut elects School Board members in partisan elections. The Working Families Party already has three seats on the nine-member Board, although two of its members are up for re-election this year. The party hopes to increase its strength on the board. On August 10, the party nominated three candidates for the election that will be held November 5, 2013. One of the party’s incumbents, John Bagley, is not up for re-election this year, so if the party elects all three of its candidates, it will have four seats on the Board.

The party’s three candidates this year are Sauda Baraka (who is running for re-election), Eric Stewart-Alicea, and Andre Baker. Incumbent WFP member Maria Pereira is not running for re-election.

Baker is also seeking the Democratic nomination in the September 10 primary, but the recent Democratic Party nominating convention rejected Baker and endorsed three other Democrats. If Baker still manages to win the Democratic primary, his name will appear on the November ballot twice, under both the Democratic and Working Families labels. The other two WFP nominees are not seeking the Democratic nomination.

Two Socialist Workers Party Mayoral Candidates Go on Fact-Finding Trip to Egypt

Posted on by August 12, 2013
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Dan Fein, the Socialist Workers Party nominee for Mayor of New York city, and Mary Martin, SWP nominee for Mayor of Seattle, spent some time in Egypt during the latter part of July. See this story in The Militant. Egypt, of course, is a nation undergoing a great deal of political ferment this year.

Both candidates are circulating petitions to be on the ballot in their respective cities. Fein’s petition was signed by 3,000 persons during the first week it was circulated.