Ballot Access News
July 1, 2013 – Volume 29, Number 2

1. MINOR PARTIES WIN THREE BALLOT ACCESS SUITS
2. ARIZONA PASSES NEW BALLOT ACCESS BARRIER
3. OREGON EASES BALLOT ACCESS BARRIER
4. CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY DEFEATS BALLOT ACCESS RESTRICTION
5. HAWAII DEMOCRATS SUE TO OBTAIN CLOSED PRIMARY
6. KANSAS RE-INTERPRETS LAW TO MAKE BALLOT ACCESS HARDER
7. SEVENTH CIRCUIT UPHOLDS ILLINOIS BALLOT ACCESS LAW
8. RHODE ISLAND PASSES NATIONAL POPULAR VOTE PLAN BILL
9. LIBERTARIAN MICHIGAN LAWSUIT
10. BOOK REVIEWS: RESURRECTING DEMOCRACY and THE CENTRIST MANIFESTO
11. 2014 PETITIONING FOR STATEWIDE OFFICE
12. PRESIDENT OBAMA MENTIONS GREEN, LIBERTARIAN PARTIES IN SPEECH
13. NADER 2004 BALLOT ACCESS LAWSUITS ARE FINALLY ENDED
14. LIBERTARIAN PARTY GAINS A PARTISAN OFFICE-HOLDER
15. SPECIAL ELECTION RETURNS
16. RHODE ISLAND GOVERNOR SWITCHES FROM INDEPENDENT TO DEMOCRAT
17. NEW JERSEY SOCIALIST PARTY SUES TO GAIN REGISTRATION RIGHTS
18. SUBSCRIBING TO BAN WITH PAYPAL
    

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Alabama’s state government has decided that the special election to fill the U.S. House seat, First District, will be either November 5, 2013, or December 17, 2013. The reason there are two alternative dates is that no one can know whether run-off primaries will be needed for either the Democratic or Republican Parties. If there is a run-off primary for either major party, then the election will be December 17.

Petitions for independent candidates, and for unqualified parties, are due September 24, which will also be the date of the first primary.

Although the state says 5,938 valid signatures are needed, binding case law from the 11th circuit establishes that states must reduce the number of signatures, or extend the deadline, when the normal petitioning period is not available. The normal petitioning period in Alabama is two years. In the case of this special election, the petitioning period started on June 29, 2013, and ends less than three months later, so if the state isn’t willing to extend the deadline, the state will almost certainly be required to reduce the number of signatures to approximately one-eighth of 5,938, because only one-eighth of the normal petitioning period exists.

On July 26, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory said he will sign HB 589, the omnibus election law bill. See this story. Thanks to Rick Hasen for this news.