The September 23 New York Times has this story about Switzerland’s political party system. The article emphasizes how easy it is for parties to be formed and get on the ballot. Thanks to Independent Political Report for the link. It might be added that several U.S. Supreme Court opinions say the purpose of restrictive ballot access laws is to promote “stability”. In 1992 the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Hawaii’s ban on write-in votes on the grounds that the ban promotes “stability.” Yet Switzerland, with very lenient ballot access laws, and which permits write-ins, is one of the most stable nations in the world.

KATU of Portland, Oregon, has this story about Americans Elect. The film clip shows a petitioner asking passersby to sign the petition to get Americans Elect on the ballot.

On September 21, Judge Pamela Ann Rymer of southern California died at the age of 69. Here is the 9th circuit press release. She had been fighting cancer, but had sat on an oral arguments panel as recently as July 2011, and had authored her last opinion last month. She had been scheduled to be on the panel in Washington State Grange v Washington State Republican Party, the case against the Washington state top-two system. Normally the identity of appeals judges is not known that far in advance of an oral argument. But in this case, the 9th circuit had agreed that the same panel that struck down the Washington state top-two system in 2006 should hear the case again. The other two judges on the panel are also southern Californians: Judge Raymond C. Fisher and Judge Dorothy Nelson. Thanks to How Appealing for the news about Judge Rymer.