Wisconsin election officials have received over 17,000 signatures on Americans Elect’s petition. 10,000 signatures are required. Assuming the petition is approved, Wisconsin will have four qualified parties: Democratic, Republican, Constitution, and Americans Elect. Parties that are not qualified may still place nominees on the November ballot, with the party label, via the independent candidate procedures.
On March 20, the Maine legislature gave final approval to LD 1774, which amends the state’s program for public funding of campaigns for state office. Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled that public funding programs can’t give extra public funding to certain kinds of candidates. The bill conforms the Maine program to that decision.
Supporters of the Maine program do not like the bill. Since the extra public funding is being abolished, supporters of Public Funding wanted to increase the amount that eligible candidates receive when they first qualify, but the bill does not do that. See this story.
On March 21, Nancy Argenziano announced she will run as an independent candidate for the Florida State House of Representatives this year. She formerly served in the Florida Senate as a Republican. See this story.
According to Green Party Watch, Roseanne Barr will make her first campaign appearance at a Green Party event on March 23 in Los Angeles. See this story. The event will also Marcy Winograd, a prominent Los Angeles political activist who recently switched her registration from “Democratic” to “Green”, and three Green Party members who are running for Congress.
On March 20, the U.S. Supreme Court again granted Illinois more time to respond in Illinois League of Women Voters v Quinn, 11-943. Originally the state’s response had been due March 1, and then the Court had given the state until April 2. Now the state has until April 16. This is the case in which the League argues that gerrymandering (to help incumbents of both major parties) violates the First Amendment.
