On February 23, Buddy Roemer will formally drop out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination, and will emphasize that he is still seeking the Americans Elect nomination. He will also seek the Reform Party nomination. See this story.
The only state in which the Reform Party is ballot-qualified, but in which Americans Elect is not yet ballot-qualified, is Louisiana. Thanks to Bill Van Allen for the link.
On February 21, Calvin Zastrow filed a federal complaint against a Montana law, section 13-35-218(2) of the election code, that says, “No person who is a minister, preacher, priest, or other church officer or who is an officer of any corporation or organization, religious or otherwise, may, other than by public speech or print, urge, persuade, or command any voter to vote or refrain from voting for or against any candidate, political party ticket, or ballot issue submitted to the people because of his religious duty or the interest of any corporation, church or other organization.”
Also, the lawsuit attacks section 13-13-113, which says that every polling place must include a poster that quotes section 13-35-218(2).
Finally, the lawsuit also mentions that Zastrow was recently arrested for circulating a petition on a public sidewalk, and asks for an injunction permitting him to resume petitioning. He was petitioning for an initiative at the time. The sidewalk is in front of the Montana Pavilion at MetraPark in Billings. The case is Zastrow v Bullock, 12-18, filed in Billings. Zastrow is a past national field director for the Constitution Party. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the link.
This story appeared recently in a chain of weekly Michigan newspapers, about the Natural Law Party. In Michigan, it is still on the ballot, and in 2008 it gave its presidential nomination to Ralph Nader. The story focuses on the Michigan state chair of the party, Doug Dern.
On February 21, the Virginia Senate voted to defer action on HB 1132 until 2013. Virginia has two-year legislative sessions, and is in the first year of the current session. The bill has already passed the House. It legalizes write-in votes in primaries. Virginia already allows write-ins in general elections, but not primaries.
The bill could not have taken effect in time for the March 6, 2012 presidential primary in any event.
Also on February 21, the Virginia Senate Privileges and Elections Committee unanimously passed HB 1133, which eliminates the law that says circulators can’t work outside their home districts. The law has already been declared unconstitutional.
On February 21, a 3-judge U.S. District Court in Brooklyn appointed a special master, who will be responsible for preparing redistricting plans for New York’s U.S. House and state legislative districts. It is not certain that the special master’s work product will eventually take effect, but this is a clear threat to the legislature, which would rather do its own redistricting, although the legislature has trouble with that because the Assembly is Democratic and the Senate is Republican. See this story.
