On March 19, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Maslow v New York State Board of Elections, 11-857. The issue was New York’s law, making it illegal for a person to circulate a petition to get someone on a primary ballot if that circulator is not a member of that party. The 2nd circuit had upheld the law. The person who filed the lawsuit is a Republican who wanted to help circulate the petition of her husband, who is a Democrat.

The Texas May 29 primary date could be moved to a later date, according to this story, although such a move is not likely. The redistricting plans are still not entirely settled. Much depends on what the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., decides about whether the new plan violates the Voting Rights Act.

The Missouri Democratic Party has refused to place Herschel Young on its primary ballot as a candidate for U.S. House on the grounds that he was once convicted of a felony. See this story. The Missouri Democratic Party does not understand case law about congressional qualifications. The party says if he were elected, Congress would not seat him. This is incorrect.

The U.S. Supreme Court settled this issue in 1969 in Powell v McCormack, 395 U.S. 486. The U.S. House had refused to seat Adam Clayton Powell after he was re-elected in November 1966. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 8-1 that Congress does not have the power to refuse to seat someone who was elected and who meets the Constitutional Qualifications. Congress may expel a member who has already been seated, but Congress has never expelled anyone for doing something before the election; the expulsion power has only been used to expel someone for something done after he or she was elected. Young’s felony conviction was in 1995, for assault.