Poor New York Ballot Designed Publicized in New York Newspaper

Posted on by October 18, 2008
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New York state has the worst general election ballot design of any state. This is because New York still uses mechanical voting machines, combined with a party column or party row format. Since the machines have only 9 rows (or 9 columns, depending on which type of machine is used), elections officials are sometimes forced to place two different political parties in the same column or row. The October 14 issue of The Journal News of White Plains, New York, features this story, about how the Open Government Party of Sloatsburg, New York (a village in Rockland County) is sharing the same row with the Socialist Workers Party candidate for president.

Final Papers Submitted in Last Two Active Presidential Ballot Access Cases

Posted on by October 18, 2008
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On October 16, the Vermont Green Party submitted its final brief in the case to get Cynthia McKinney on the Vermont ballot. On October 17, the Vermont Attorney General notified the court that the state will not submit any response. A decision is likely on Monday, October 20.

On October 17, the Connecticut Libertarian Party submitted the final evidence in its ballot access lawsuit. The judge had already received a list of signatures deemed invalid by the town clerks, but which actually seem to be valid. But the judge wanted to see all the signatures. That meant the party needed to photocopy 2,000 two-sided pieces of paper, with one copy for the state and the other for the court. That voluminous evidence has now been submitted.

Although the Libertarian Party also has lawsuits relating to presidential ballot access pending in Maine and Oklahoma, they will not be decided until after the election. Also, the New Hampshire Libertarian lawsuit, arguing that the state is constitutionally required to permit substitution, will not be heard until after the election.