Linda Martin’s book “Driving Mr. Nader, the Greens Grow Up”, is apparently the only book ever written about Ralph Nader’s 1996 presidential campaign. Although lots has been written about his runs in 2000, 2004, and 2008, the fascinating 1996 campaign seems almost forgotten. Even though Nader refused to spend more than $5,000 on his 1996 campaign, and even though he was only on 23 ballots, he placed fourth in 1996. Here is the link to the book. It has been virtually impossible to find in paper form, because fewer than 500 copies had been printed.

On October 28, a 3-judge U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., denied Florida’s request to expedite the lawsuit over whether Florida’s 2011 election law changes violate the federal Voting Rights Act. See this story. Five counties in Florida are under section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. The Florida legislature earlier this year passed an omnibus election law bill which, arguably, violates the Voting Rights Act. Florida could have asked the U.S. Justice Department to pre-clear the changes, but instead Florida opted to ask a court to do that instead.

On October 27, the Massachusetts Secretary of State filed this 20-page brief in the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, in Libertarian Association of Massachusetts v Galvin, SJ-2011-0348. This is the lawsuit on whether the existing law does or does not provide for presidential stand-ins. Earlier this year, the First Circuit had said there is no federal constitutional right for presidential stand-ins, but had suggested that the Massachusetts state courts should settle whether the law does in fact permit it.

Although the Secretary of State’s brief is fairly lengthy, nowhere does it acknowledge that the law was interpreted to permit stand-ins, at least for vice-president, in 1980, 1996, 2000, and 2004. The brief claims that the Supreme Judicial Court should not hear the case because the Libertarian Party lacks standing and there is no ongoing case or controversy. The brief does admit that in 2007, the Secretary of State told the Libertarian Party that if the party intended to use a stand-in presidential candidate, that the Secretary would prepare a form that allows members of the party to request the substitution of the stand-in presidential candidate. See footnote 5 on page nine of the brief.