Ninth Circuit Sets Hearing Date in California Petitioner Residency Lawsuit

Posted on by March 20, 2012
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The Ninth Circuit will hear Libertarian Party of Los Angeles County v Bowen on May 9, in Pasadena, at 9 a.m. This is the case that challenges California laws that say petitioners can’t work outside their home district, when they are gathering signatures for candidates (for district office) to get on the primary ballot.

The state says it doesn’t enforce the law. The U.S. District Court had said last year that since the law is not enforced, the party doesn’t have standing. However, the Secretary of State’s web page implies that the law is enforced, and many county elections officials did enforce it last month.

Nebraska Republicans Plan Court Challenge to Bob Kerrey’s Being on Democratic Primary Ballot for U.S. Senate

Posted on by March 20, 2012
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According to this story, Nebraska Republicans plan to sue to keep Bob Kerrey off the Democratic primary ballot this year. Kerrey is running for U.S. Senate. Nebraska Republican attorneys may not know that both the 9th circuit and the 10th circuit have ruled that states may not keep candidates off the ballot just because they aren’t registered to vote. However, Nebraska is in the 8th circuit. Thanks to PoliticalWire for the link.

Rick Santorum Condemns Restrictive Ballot Access Laws

Posted on by March 20, 2012
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Rick Santorum was interviewed on March 19 on Fox & Friends. Watch the 5-minute interview here. In the fourth minute, Santorum is asked if he now wishes he had challenged Mitt Romney’s petitions in Illinois. The interviewers say that Romney could have been kept off the Republican presidential primary ballot in Illinois because he used a Massachusetts notary. Santorum says he does not approve of ballot challenges and advocates ballot access rules that do not disqualify legitimate candidates.

The Republican Party has complete control of Pennsylvania state government, and has been bottling up ballot access reform for the last year. It would be quite helpful if Santorum would use his influence in his home state’s party, and endorse the ballot access reform bill, SB 21. Thanks to Bill Van Allen for the link.