On November 14, a U.S. District Court in Indiana issued an injunction against Indiana regulations that make it impermissible for candidates for State Judge to answer questionaires about their legal and political views. Indiana Right to Life v Shepard, 4:04cv-0071 (northern district).
On November 13, state Superior Court Judge Stephanie Joannides heard oral arguments in Green Party of Alaska v State, 3AN-05-10787. The issue is Alaska’s definition of “party”. That definition says that a party without registration of 3% must poll 3% for Governor, in gubernatorial years. The case was filed in the past, at a time when Greens had polled 3% for U.S. Senate and U.S. House, but not Governor.
Although it is true that in 2006, the Green Party didn’t poll 3% for any statewide race, and thus will not be on the ballot automatically for 2008 even if it wins the case, both sides seemed to agree that the 2006 election results are immaterial to a judgment about the law. No one claimed the lawsuit is moot.
Judge Joannides is the same judge who earlier granted an injunction keeping the party on the Alaska ballot while the case is pending. She said she would rule as quickly as she can.
In 1982, the Alaska Supreme Court said that ballot access has greater protection under the Alaska Constitution, than under the U.S. Constitution. Therefore, ever since, all constitutional ballot access cases in Alaska have always been filed in state court, not federal court.
On November 13, a staffer from the Pennsylvania House Government Committee telephoned Ken Krawchuk (a ballot access activist) and invited Pennsylvania ballot access activists to meet with some legislators on that committee about ballot access policy. This is a good sign that the 2007 session of the legislature might make some improvements.
For several years, there have been two factions of the Prohibition Party. The October 1, 2006 issue of Ballot Access News had noted that the faction in opposition to Earl Dodge had sets its presidential convention for September 13-14, 2007, in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Now the faction in support of Earl Dodge has set its national convention at a church in Denver, Colorado, for June 11-12, 2007.
Meanwhile, the lawsuit in Pennsyvlania state court to determine which set of national officers is entitled to the bequest that is owed to the national party each year, has a hearing on January 18, 2007.
It appears that the Green Party did poll enough votes for Nebraska Secretary of State to be on the ballot automatically in 2008. However, the results won’t be completely known until December 4. Not all of the provisional ballots have been processed. The preliminary results show that the Green candidate got 27,180 votes, and needed 27,034.
