On June 3, the Maryland Green Party announced its nominations for public office, including U.S. Senate. The nominee for U.S. Senate is Kevin Zeese, and he will appear as the Green Party candidate for that office in November. Although the Libertarian Party also nominated him, state law forces him to choose only one party label, and he has said his choice is “Green”. The Populist Party, formed in a few states by Ralph Nader in 2004, is also expected to nominate Zeese.
Both the 2nd circuit and the 7th circuit have oral arguments in ballot access cases this week of June 5-9. The 2nd circuit heard arguments in Lopez Torres v New York State Bd. of Elections on June 7, and the 7th circuit hears arguments in Lee v Illinois State Bd. of Elections on June 9.
The New York case involves ballot access to the primary ballot, for candidates for Delegate to the Judicial Nominating Conventions. The oral argument lasted two hours, three times as long as had been scheduled.
The Illinois case challenges the petition for independent candidates for the legislature. It is so restrictive, it has not been used since 1980. Independent candidates for the Illinois legislature need a petition signed by 10% of the number of voters who voted in that district in the last general election. Furthermore, the petition is due in December of the year before the election. No other state requires independent candidates to submit petitions greater than 5% of the number of registered voters, and no other state requires the petition to be submitted in the year before the election. Yet, amazingly, the U.S. District Court had upheld the law.
Two independent candidates qualified for the Oklahoma general election ballot for statewide office, on June 5. One is running for Lieutenant Governor; the other for Corporation Commissioner.
California held a special election to fill a vacancy in the 50th US House district, on June 6. The unofficial results: Republican 49.33%, Democratic 45.46%; independent 3.67%; Libertarian 1.53%.
The same district in November 2004 voted: Republican 58.41%; Democratic 36.49%; Green 2.25%; Constitution 1.63%; Libertarian 1.20%.
California held its primary on June 6. In the Democratic primary for Secretary of State, State Senator Debra Bowen has a large lead in the early returns. Bowen has been a champion of Instant-Runoff Voting, public funding of campaigns, and a foe of the companies that manufacture electronic vote-counting machines.
