On December 28, the Virginia State Board of Elections voted to let the Republican Party require voters in the Republican presidential primary to sign a pledge. Voters must sign this: “I pledge that I intend to support the nominee of the of the Republican Party for president.” See this story.
On December 28, both Americans Elect, and the Justice Party, filed the notice with the Texas Secretary of State saying they intend to petition to get on the 2012 ballot. Texas law does not permit this petition to start circulating until the primary is over. The Texas 2012 primary will be April 3. The petition deadline is June 17.
Other unqualified parties that had already filed the notice include the Constitution Party and the Generation Party. The Libertarian and Green Parties are already on the Texas ballot, so do not need to petition. The notice is due January 2, 2012.
On December 28, former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson formally declared that he is seeking the Libertarian Party presidential nomination. See this story. Except for several southern Governors who had supported racial segregation, Johnson is the first former Governor to seek the presidency outside of the major parties since 1924, when Robert La Follette, a former Governor of Wisconsin, ran for President as an independent Progressive.
As reported earlier, on November 21, 2011, the Peace & Freedom, Libertarian and Green Parties filed a lawsuit in state court against the essence of the top-two system. Hearings are now set in that case, which is in Alameda County Superior Court and is called Rubin v Bowen. On March 13 the court will hear the plaintiffs’ request for an injunction against Proposition 14. And on March 20, the court will hear the motion by the state to dismiss the case. Thanks to Dave Kadlecek for this news.
On December 27, Texas Governor Rick Perry sued Virginia in federal court over its residency requirement for circulators. The case is Perry v Judd, 3:11-cv-856. Here is the complaint.
