U.S. District Court Invalidates Part of Florida’s Public Funding Program for Gubernatorial Candidates

Posted on by July 1, 2011
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On June 29, a U.S. District Court in Florida invalidated part of Florida’s public funding program for gubernatorial candidates. Struck down is the provision for extra public funding for publicly-funded candidates who have privately-financed opponents with a great deal of resources. The decision was no surprise, given the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in the similar Arizona case on June 27.

The Florida case is Scott v Roberts, northern district, 4:10-cv-283. This case had been filed by Rick Scott when he was running for Governor. Now, of course, he is Governor. Scott had filed the case to stop extra public funding from going to his Republican primary opponent, Bill McCollum.

Process Begins for Voters to Sign Up for Americans Elect Presidential Primary

Posted on by June 30, 2011
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On June 30, the Americans Elect web page was expanded, so that anyone can sign up to become a voter in the party’s process for choosing a presidential nominee. Those who sign up are also given a chance to answer 64 questions on policy. The web address is www.AmericansElect.org.

The voter sign-up asks for a name, an e-mail address, and also asks the person signing up to choose a pin number. There seems to be no restriction on who can sign up. There is no question asking if the person signing up is an adult, or a U.S. citizen.

The page, as of June 30, also says that the new national signature tally for American Elect ballot access petitions is 1,430,475, and increase of 88,000 in just two days.

In the next few days, the Alaska Division of Elections, and the Kansas Secretary of State, will probably say that the party has obtained enough valid signatures in each of those states to appear on the 2012 ballot.

Ohio House Passes Bill Setting Early February Petition Deadline for New Party Petitions

Posted on by June 29, 2011
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On June 29, the Ohio House again passed HB 194. It had already been passed by the Senate. The House then (on June 29) accepted the Senate’s amendments, so the bill is through the legislature. The bill moves the presidential primary to the first week in May, and sets the petition deadline for new parties at 90 days before the primary. This gives Ohio a petition deadline that is almost certainly unconstitutionally early, even though the bill does improve the deadline. There are no reported decisions that uphold a petition deadline that early, and there are 15 decisions that strike down petition deadlines that early, including Williams v Rhodes, a U.S. Supreme Court decision.

The old deadline, in November of odd years, was declared unconstitutional in 2006, and Ohio officials will now probably say that HB 194 cures the constitutional infirmity.

Delaware Legislature Passes Bill Letting Voters Switch Parties; Will Help Ballot Access

Posted on by June 29, 2011
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On June 29, the Delaware House passed both SB 118 and SB 89. Both bills are now through the legislature. SB 89 moves the presidential primary from February to April, and SB 118 lets voters change party registration up until 60 days before the presidential primary. These bills, assuming they are signed into law, will indirectly help minor parties to get on the ballot. Minor parties need about 625 registered members to be on the ballot in 2012. The old law made getting these registrations very difficult, because voters couldn’t switch parties during the last months of an odd year before a presidential election year. But the new law will permit party switches throughout odd years, and also in the first two months of a presidential election year. Thanks to Frontloading HQ for this news.