Nine Parties Place Nominee for President of France on Ballot

Posted on by March 19, 2012
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Filing has closed for the French presidential election being held next month. Nine parties succeeded in placing a presidential nominee on the ballot. See this story. Also, an independent candidate qualified.

The nine parties are the Union for a Popular Movement, the Socialist Party (which are the two biggest parties), and these on the left: Green, Left Front, New Anti-Capitalist, and Workers’ Struggle; and on the right, the National Front and Rise Up Republic; and the centrist Democratic Movement. If no one gets 50%, a run-off will be held two weeks later. Thanks to Thomas Jones for the link.

Politico Story Says if Romney and Santorum Hadn’t Agreed Not to Challenge Illinois Petitions, Both Might Have Had Ballot Access Trouble

Posted on by March 19, 2012
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This Politico story says that the reason Mitt Romney didn’t challenge Rick Santorum’s presidential primary petitions in Illinois is that if he had, then Santorum would have challenged the Romney petitions.

Romney’s petitions might have been invalid because Romney’s statement of candidacy was not notarized by an Illinois notary, but by a Massachusetts notary. The Politico story, at the end, says that the location of where the notarization was done is not relevant, but does not get into the issue of whether a notary only recognized by Massachusetts is free to notarize Illinois election forms. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the link.

Arizona Bill Would Ban All Elections Except in August and November of Even-Numbered Years

Posted on by March 19, 2012
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Arizona HB 2826 passed the House on March 1, and passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 12. It would eliminate all elections for public office in Arizona, except in August and November of even-numbered years.

The bill, if signed into law, would likely be held unconstitutional, as applied to vacancies in the U.S. House that occur in the first nine months of odd-numbered years. The law might also be held to violate the Arizona Constitution, which has protections for referenda and recall. The bill applies to all local jurisdictions, even those with a Charter. See this article. If the bill is signed into law, it would not cancel odd-year elections in 2013, but would cancel them in 2015 and future odd years. Thanks to Joshua Spivak for the news.

U.S. Supreme Court Won’t Hear Case on Whether New York Can Block Non-Party Members from Circulating a Primary Petition

Posted on by March 19, 2012
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On March 19, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Maslow v New York State Board of Elections, 11-857. The issue was New York’s law, making it illegal for a person to circulate a petition to get someone on a primary ballot if that circulator is not a member of that party. The 2nd circuit had upheld the law. The person who filed the lawsuit is a Republican who wanted to help circulate the petition of her husband, who is a Democrat.