This South Dakota news story covers the petition drive to qualify Americans Elect in that state. The story says only the Democratic and Republican Parties are now ballot-qualified in that state. That is correct, but the story would have been improved if it had mentioned that last month the Libertarian Party submitted 12,000 signatures, which the state is checking. Also, the Constitution Party is circulating a petition for party status in South Dakota.
The national Green Party has somewhat strict rules about who can be considered an official Green Party candidate for the party’s presidential nomination. One of the rules is that the candidate must have raised at least $5,000, from contributors other than himself or herself. Kent Mesplay recently became the third individual to meet the qualifications. The previous two are Jill Stein and Roseanne Barr. Here is a description of Mesplay.
On February 27, U.S. District Magistrate Roanne L. Mann in the eastern district issued an order in the redistricting lawsuit called Favors v Cuomo. She wants the plaintiffs, and Assembly Democrats, and Senate Republicans, and all other intervenors, to submit proposed U.S. House district boundaries by Wednesday, February 29. She wants a detailed explanation for each plan of how that plan comports with applicable federal and state law. Responses to each of these maps are then due by Friday, March 2.
She has also appointed some experts, including Law Professor Nathaniel Persily, to help her make the final choice, and she expects to make that final choice in mid-March. It is theoretically possible that the legislature will now move quickly to pass its own plan, because the entire basis of the Favors lawsuit is that the legislature is hopelessly deadlocked and the court must act in its place. See this story, which was published shortly before the court hearing. Thanks to Bill Van Allen for this news.
On February 27, filing closed for Arizona’s upcoming special congressional primary in the 8th district. The seat is vacant because of the resignation of Gabrielle Giffords. The special primary will be on April 17, and the special general election on June 12.
One Green Party member, community activist Charles Manolakis, filed. One Democrat, Ron Barber, filed. Four Republicans filed: Frank Antenori, Jesse Kelly, Martha McSally, and Dave Silton.
On February 27, the Virginia Circuit Court in the city of Richmond ruled that the 2012 session of the legislature does have authority to draw U.S. House district boundaries. See this story. The case is Jennifer Little v Virginia State Board of Elections, CL 11-5253. Last month the same court had ruled that the plaintiffs had standing. The plaintiffs had argued that the Virginia State Constitution requires the U.S. House districting to be done in the year after the census. But, in 2011, the legislature did not draw new districts, although it did do so early in 2012.
