The U.S. Supreme Court has set a conference date of March 19 for Simmons v Galvin, 09-920, the case over whether the Voting Rights Act applies to state laws that ban ex-felons or felons from registering to vote. The case is from Massachusetts. Last year, the 1st circuit had ruled 2-1 that the Voting Rights Act was never meant to pertain to that type of state law.
A Libertarian candidate for the Ohio legislature failed to get on the Libertarian primary ballot because his petition (which needed 25 valid signatures, and which obtained them) is deficient. The date of the election was not filled out. See the story. Thanks to Carter Momberger for the link.
The candidate, Robert E. Waters, is still free to be a write-in candidate in the primary.
On February 24, U.S. Senator Chris Dodd introduced a proposed constitutional amendment to allow Congress to curtail independent expenditures about candidates for federal office. It would add this Constitutional Amendment:
Section 1. Congress shall have power to regulate the raising and spending of money with respect to Federal elections, including through setting limits on (1) the amount of contributions to candidates for nomination for election to, or for election to, Federal office; and (2) the amount of exdenditures that may be made by, in support of, or in opposition to such candidates.
Section 2. A State shall have power to regulate the raising and spending of money with respect to State elections, including through setting limits on (1) the amount of contributions to candidates for nomination for election to, or for election to, State office; and (2) the amount of expenditures that may be made by, in support of, or in opposition to such candidates.
Section 3. Congress shall have power to implement and enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
On February 23, the Illinois House Elections & Campaign Finance Reform Committee passed HB 4964, to move the primary from February to March. Also, on February 24, the Illinois Senate passed SB 3155, an identical bill. It is somewhat likely that the House bill will receive a vote in the House on February 25.
The February 2010 Illinois primary was the earliest primary ever held in any state, for Congress, in a mid-term year. The February date was very unpopular with the public, and with election administrators. Turnout was poor.
There are other bills pending in the legislature to move the primary to June, but those bills will now almost certainly be forgotten.
On February 23, the Arizona House Government Committee passed HB 2441. It requires the presidential nominees of qualified political parties to submit an affidavit stating his or her age, place of birth, and residency for the past 14 years. The affidavit would be accompanied by documents establishing these facts. Here is the text of the bill, which has 30 sponsors in the House (out of a membership of 60) and 10 sponsors in the Senate (out of a membership of 30).
Oddly, the bill does not make any demands on independent presidential candidates. Thanks to Thomas Jones for this news.
