On June 4, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Siegelman v United States, 11-955, even though over 100 former state Attorneys General had filed an amicus curiae brief, asking the Court to hear the case. See this story from yesterday’s Los Angeles Times that explains the case. Also, a group of distinguished election law professors had also filed a similar amicus curiae brief. Don Siegelman had appealed his bribery conviction. Many observers felt Siegelman was not guilty and that the Court needed to hear his case to set forth clearer standards about the precise connection between bribery and campaign contributions.

Siegelman is Alabama’s last Democratic Party governor. He was elected in 1998 and barely defeated in the general election of 2002. He had previously served as Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and Secretary of State. Now that his U.S. Supreme Court appeal has been denied, he will go to prison.

The U.S. Supreme Court seems to have a pattern of refusing all election law cases, in years after which the Court had received a great deal of criticism for an election law decision. After the December 12, 2000 decision in Bush v Gore, the court then refused all new election cases for all of calendar year 2001, until December 3, 2001. Similarly, the Court has refused all new election law cases during 2011 and 2012 (so far), after having received a great deal of criticism for Citizens United v FEC and Arizona Free Enterprise Club’s Freedom Club PAC v Bennett, two campaign finance decisions decided by 5-4 votes.

The Socialist Alternative Party has qualified a candidate for the Washington state legislature this year. She is Kshama Sawant. Here is the party’s web page, describing the campaign. She is running in the 43rd district, place one, for State House. Because the only other person who filed is a Democrat, she is guaranteed to place second and will be able to run in November. Here is a community news blog about her campaign.

The Socialist Alternative Party is the U.S. affiliate of the Committee for a Workers’ International, which seems to have its strongest branches in Asia. As far as it known, this candidacy in Washington state is the first time the party has contested an election in the United States.

Because Washington state does not permit party labels to exceed fifteen characters, her ballot label is “Socialist Altern.”

Washington state has very few minor party candidates (for office other than President) this year. The only other ones who are members of actual organizations are one Reform Party member running for Governor, one Constitution Party member running for Lieutenant Governor, one Progressive Party member running for state legislature, and one Green Party member running for state legislature. The Socialist Workers Party nominated a candidate for Governor but she did not pay the filing fee to appear on the primary ballot.

Ballot Access News
May 1, 2012 – Volume 27, Number 12

1. MAINE SUPREME COURT SAYS NADER LAWSUIT AGAINST DEMOCRATIC PARTY BEHAVIOR IN 2004 MAY PROCEED
2. ALABAMA BALLOT ACCESS BILL ADVANCES
3. NEBRASKA BALLOT ACCESS BILL SIGNED
4. DEMOCRATIC AND LIBERTARIAN PARTIES ASK HIGH COURT TO TAKE TOP-TWO CASE
5. LOWER CALIFORNIA COURT WON’T ENJOIN TOP-TWO LAW
6. HOSTILE ACT BY VIRGINIA GOVERNOR FORCES MINOR PARTIES TO RESTART PETITIONS
7. SUPREME COURT WON’T HEAR NORTH DAKOTA BALLOT ACCESS CASE
8. MORE LAWSUIT NEWS
9. ARIZONA PUBLIC FUNDING SURVIVES
10. CONSTITUTION PARTY PRESIDENTIAL CONVENTION VOTE
11. 2012 PETITIONING FOR PRESIDENT
12. PARTIES NOT ON PETITIONING CHART
13. ARIZONA AND CALIFORNIA NOW EACH HAVE AN INDEPENDENT STATE LEGISLATOR
14. TWO ONE-STATE PARTIES NOMINATE ROCKY ANDERSON
15. CYNTHIA McKINNEY
16. GREEN PARTY PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES
17. TWO NEW ONE-STATE PARTIES QUALIFY
18. REFORM PARTY NATIONAL CONVENTION
19. PRIMARY SEASON MATCHING FUNDS
20. SUBSCRIBING TO BAN WITH PAYPAL
    

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