On August 1, a California Superior Court in Riverside County removed a local initiative from the ballot, on the grounds that the initiative (to ban red-light cameras) is a matter of statewide concern and cannot be the subject of a local initiative. The red-light cameras were installed by the city government of Murrieta. But on August 11, the State Appeals Court stayed the decision, so the ballot was then printed with the initiative.

On September 18 the State Appeals Court issued its opinion. It says it is not generally proper to remove initiatives from the ballot before they receive a vote, and clarified that the initiative belongs on the ballot. If the measure passes, then opponents can file a new lawsuit, on whether red-light cameras can ever be the subject of a local initiative in California. Serafin v The Superior Court of Riverside County, E056868.

The Pennsylvania challenge process for the statewide Libertarian Party is still proceeding, and it is not expected to be finished until next week. Federal law requires that foreign absentee ballots be mailed no later than Saturday, September 22.

In the past, when Pennsylvania’s process hasn’t been finished in time for the deadline for mailing overseas absentee ballots, the state has printed the challenged candidate’s name on the ballot, with the understanding that if the challenge succeeds in the end and defeats ballot access, the overseas voters will be sent notice that votes for certain candidates won’t be counted. Obviously this is a flawed and cumbersome process. There is always the hope that the objectors will give up their challenge, because statistically, it is extremely likely that the Libertarian petition has enough valid signatures.

On September 20, the New Hampshire Ballot Law Commission put Virgil Goode on the ballot. The attorney for the Secretary of State tried to persuade them not to do that. He said it would create a “bad” precedent. Goode had enough valid signatures, but some of the town clerks had not finished checking his signatures by the deadline, although they finished after the deadline. It wasn’t Goode’s fault that some of the town clerks didn’t finish the work in time.

Also, Goode had showed that some of the signatures had been improperly invalidated, but the towns had been told by the state not to re-validate those signatures. Goode’s campaign presented evidence of this and the Commissioners saw the justice in his position and voted 5-0 to put him on the ballot. Goode is now on the ballot in 26 states, which contain 48% of the Electoral College vote.