On August 22, the Alaska Supreme Court issued a one-sentence order, keeping the initiative to repeal top-four on the ballot. The initiative petition had been challenged on various technical grounds. The lower court had ruled in favor of the initiative backers, and the Alaska Supreme Court agrees, and will issue a full opinion later.
The Montana Libertarian Party has sent in paperework to list Chase Oliver as the party’s presidential nominee. Normally this would not be newsworthy, but in this case it is. Earlier the state party had said it would not place anyone on the ballot for president.
On August 22, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an order in Republican National Committee v Mi Familia Vota, 24A164. Arizona requires people filling out a voter registration form to attach proof of citizenship. This would be a birth certificate for many persons, but for others it would be a copy of naturalization papers.
The legality of this Arizona restriction is pending in the lower courts, but in the meantime, the U.S. Supreme Court says the state can enforce its law for people who want to vote for state and local office. For people willing to vote only for president and congress, during this interim period, the state cannot block them from registering even if they don’t provide proof of citizenship. That is because those persons can use the federal voter registration form, with no need for attachments.
Four justices would have blocked the state from enforcing its law, for all offices, while the case is pending.
Three justices would have let the state enforce its law, in the interim, for all voters.
Two justices said the state can enforce its law for some times of offices but not others. Here is a description of the ruling, and a copy of the ruling, from ElectionLawBlog.
On Thursday, August 22, the Alaska Supreme Court will hear arguments on whether the initiative to repeal the top-four system should remain on the ballot. The lower court had kept it on the ballot. See this story.
The American Independent Party of California had already nominated Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., for president this year. But California passed a law last year mandating that parties certify their presidential nominees by August 22, one of the earliest such deadlines in the nation. And because of that deadline, the party will probably choose a new nominee soon, even before the Kennedy press conference set for August 23.
The most likely outcome is that the AIP will nominate Donald Trump, who is also the Republican nominee. In 2016 the party had nominated Trump, and he had appeared on the November ballot with both party labels.
