Nebraska Secretary of State Certifies Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

On July 26, the Nebraska Secretary of State certified Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., for the ballot as an independent candidate.  The Secretary of State said the Democratic Party’s challenge to his candidacy has no merit.  The party had claimed that Kennedy could not be an independent candidate in some states because he is a minor party in other states.  See this story.

Florida Democrats Suggest they Want to Challenge the Ballot Qualification of the Florida Reform Party

This story says Florida Democratic Party officials are asking the Secretary of State to produce documents related to the ballot status of the Reform Party.  This year, the Reform Party has nominated Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., for president.

When the Florida Reform Praty nominated Ralph Nader in 2004, Democrats sued to remove the Reform Party from the ballot.  However, the Reform Party won the lawsuit in State Supreme Court.

U.S. Supreme Court Sets Conference Date for Indiana and Georgia Ballot Access Cases

The U.S. Supreme Court will consider Rust v Morales, 23-1369, at its September 30 conference.  This is the Indiana case over how candidates get on a primary ballot.  The law lets the state exclude candidates who did not vote in the last primary held for that party.  The plaintiff had wanted to run as a Republican for U.S. Senate this year, but he was excluded.

Also on September 30, the Court will also consider whether to hear Bell v Raffensperger, 23-7684.  This is the Georgia case filed by an independent candidate for the legislature, Andrew W. Bell.  It concerns the lack of due process when Georgia checks petition signatures.