On June 14, the Maine Supreme Court refused Ralph Nader’s request for reconsideration, in Nader v The Maine Democratic Party, case number Was-12-499.
Reply
On June 17, U.S. District Court Judge Robert L. Wilkins again ruled that the Libertarian Party is entitled to have its bequest lawsuit heard in the U.S. Court of Appeals, before all the full-time judges of that court. Here is the 8-page ruling that denies the Federal Election Commission’s request for reconsideration. The case concerns whether the FEC violated the U.S. Constitution when it told the Libertarian Party that it can’t receive a bequest of $217,734 soon after the bequester died. Instead the FEC said the bequest had to be released to the party in annual increments that match the contribution limit for living individuals to contribute to national political committees. Thanks to Joe Trotter of the Center for Competitive Politics for the link.
On June 17, the Hawaii Democratic Party filed a lawsuit in federal court, seeking to close its primary to all except registered Democrats. Hawaii at this time does not ask voters to choose a party when they register to vote. This is the first time any state Democratic Party has ever filed a lawsuit to close an open primary. In the past, the Republican Parties of Virginia, Idaho, and South Carolina filed such lawsuits.
The Virginia Republican Party lawsuit had some success, and the Idaho Republican Party completely won its case. The South Carolina Republican Party lawsuit is still pending.
UPDATE: here is the party’s press release. Here is the Republican Party’s press release.
On June 14, Texas Governor Rick Perry signed SB 817, an election law bill that the Libertarian Party had suggested. The bill lets ballot-qualified parties that nominate by convention hold their state convention in April, instead of June. Also it lets convention parties nominate candidates for public office even if those candidates are party officers (primary-nominating parties still can’t nominate people who are party officials). Thanks to Jim Riley for this news.
Ariel Chesler has this article on Huffington Post. From his own personal experience, he knows that many New Yorkers don’t realize that candidates can’t get on ballots unless voters are willing to sign petitions for them. Especially telling is one voter, who, when asked to sign, said, “Let the candidates get themselves on the ballot!”
The problem is surely much worse in states such as Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina. In those states, candidates seeking a place on a primary ballot don’t need petitions. Also those states don’t have the statewide initiative process. So voters are even less aware of the importance of petitioning, because the only groups that petition are minor parties and independent candidates.