On January 30, Tennessee filed its brief in Darnell v Hargett, m.d., 3:23cv-1266. This is the Libertarian Party case that challenges the Tennessee petition requirement for a group to become a qualified party. Here is the state’s brief. It doesn’t even mention the Sixth Circuit decision Graveline v Benson, 992 F.3d 524 (2021), in which Michigan’s petition requirement of 30,000 signatures for a statewide independent candidate was struck down, on the grounds that it was obviously more difficult than necessary for any state interest, because it had only been used twice since it was created in 1988.

Tennessee is also in the Sixth Circuit, and Tennessee’s party petition hasn’t been used since 1968. It requires 43,498 signatures.

On January 29, four prize-winning historians filed this amicus curiae brief in the U.S. Supreme Court in Trump v Anderson, 23-719, the Colorado ballot access case. They argue that the Fourteenth Amendment, Section Three, is self-executing, is still in force, and applies to presidents.

On January 24, the Mississippi House passed HCR 11, which would restore the statewide initiative process. If it passes the Senate, it would go on the November 2024 ballot. It would require a petition of 8% of the registered voters, to be completed within 12 months. That would be approximately 150,000 signatures.

Here is the text of the proposed constitutional amendment.