Following up on Richard Winger’s post earlier this week that Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen asked the state legislature to pass LB 764, which would change Nebraska’s electoral votes distribution to winner of the entire state take all, the legislature did not pass that bill. It may come up again for a vote later this month.
On April 3, the Third Circuit refused to stay the lower court’s order that required New Jersey to use office-block ballot format for the June 4 Democratic primary. Kim v Hanlon, 24-1593. The three judges were Kent Jordan (Bush Jr. appointee), Charyl Ann Krause (Obama), and Arianna Freeman (Biden).
So, regardless of the hearing on April 12, it is clear that the old discriminatory ballot format will not be used this year for the Democratic primary.
On April 4, the Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. campaign said it has completed its Idaho petition.
The Seventh Circuit will hear Indiana Green Party v Morales, 23-2756, on Wednesday morning, April 10. This is the case that challenges the number of signatures needed for a statewide independent candidate or the nominee of an unqualified party. The petition is so difficult, no one has used it for statewide office since 2000, when Pat Buchanan, Reform Party nominee, did it.
Indiana is one of only four states in which Ralph Nader was never able to get on the ballot, in any of his presidential runs. The others were North Carolina, Georgia, and Oklahoma, all of which have eased presidential ballot access since 2008, the last time Nader ran.
The Seventh Circuit does not reveal which judges will be on the panel until the morning of the hearing.
No Labels did not say whether it would finish any of its ongoing petition drives, although I think one can presume that those drives have now ended.
No Labels gave up much more quickly than Americans Elect did in 2012. Americans Elect in 2012 did not decide to skip running anyone for president until May 17, 2012.
