Constitution Party Places Candidate in Florida U.S. Senate Race

The Florida Constitution Party is running Bernie DeCastro for U.S. Senator. See this story. He will be the first Constitution Party candidate for any statewide office on the Florida ballot (other than the party’s presidential candidates).

The Constitution Party attempted to run Daniel Barker for U.S. Senate in Florida in 2006, but couldn’t raise the filing fee that year.

Town in Delaware Disenfranchises Voters in Local Elections if they Owe City Any Money

The press in Delaware has noticed that one town in northern Delaware, Delaware City, does not permit voters to vote in town elections unless they have “currently paid all city taxes, fees, charges, liens and debts that are due.” See this story. The town held its most recent election on April 6, 2010.

The town’s policy appears to violate several U.S. Supreme Court decisions. In 1966, the Court said in Harper v Board of Elections that “A state violate the Equal Protection Clause whenever it makes the affluence of the voter or payment of any fee an electoral standard.” There were also 3 decisions in 1969 which struck down local laws restricting the franchise to people who own property.