For a month, the Peace & Freedom Party has been trying to persuade the California Secretary of State to print the presidential candidates the party desires, on the party’s June 5, 2012 presidential primary ballot. The Secretary of State refuses to list Peta Lindsay. Initially she refused to list Stephen Durham, but she relented, for him. Here is a letter the party’s attorney sent last week. It quotes the Secretary of State’s statements to various courts that she does not investigate any presidential candidate to evaluate whether he or she meets the constitutional qualifications.

Peta Lindsay’s campaign is bigger than Stephen Durham’s campaign. Lindsay has already obtained ballot access in one other state, whereas Durham has not.

As reported earlier, on March 26, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that in-district residency requirements for circulators cannot be enforced, at least for petitions for minor party and independent candidates. The Dilworth Paxson newsletter says this is a very significant victory for easier ballot access. See the firm’s newsletter here. Dilworth Paxson is one of Pennsylvania’s most prestigious law firms. It was founded in 1933 and among its past partners have been a Mayor of Philadelphia and the recent past Chief Judge of the 3rd Circuit. Thanks to Bill Van Allen for the link.