On Friday, January 17, the Minnesota Supreme Court unanimously cancelled a special legislative election set for January 28. The special election schedule had been set by Governor Tim Walz, and allowed only one day for any independent or minor party candidate to collect 500 signatures. Minnesota Voters Alliance and Republican Party of Minnesota v Walz, A25-0017.

The basis for the decision is the election law that says the schedule for the special election cannot be set until 22 days after the start of the legislative session. The special election is needed because one of the winning Democrats, the victor of the election in House district 40B, was successfully challenged after the election on the grounds that he did not live in his district. After a trial court removed him, he decided not to appeal. That case was called Wikstrom v Johnson. Once it became clear that the seat was vacant, the Governor called an immediate special election, but now the State Supreme Court has cancelled that election.

On January 17, the Georgia Libertarian Party filed this brief in the Eleventh Circuit in Cowen v Raffensperger, 24-13164. This is the case challenging the 5% petition for independent U.S. House candidates, and the nominees of parties for U.S. House if that party didn’t poll 20% of the vote in the last election for President or Governor.

Even if you don’t normally read briefs, you should read this one. The opening pages give a fascinating history.

On January 17, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court agreed to hear Baxter v Philadelphia Board of Elections, 395 EAL 2024. This is the case over the validity of the law that says postal ballots are invalid if the voter either forgets to include the date on the outer envelope, or puts an incorrect date. The lower court had invalidated the law on the basis of the State Constitution’s provision that elections shall be “free and equal.”

No other state invalidates postal ballots for that reason. Generally states don’t even ask for a date on the outer envelope.