On July 22, a lower state court in New Hampshire upheld the state’s ballot access laws for minor parties and independent candidates. Specifically, the court upheld the number of signatures for statewide candidates (3,000) and the definition of “party” (a group that polled 4% for either Governor or US Senator). Libertarian Party of N.H. v State, 05-E-4, Merrimack County. The Libertarian and Constitution Parties will appeal to the New Hampshire Supreme Court. The lower court said that the state constitution gives no greater protection to voting than the U.S. Constitution, even though the New Hampshire Constitution says, “Every inhabitant of the state, having the proper qualifications, has an equal right to be elected into office.” Members of qualified parties need not collect any signatures to be placed on a primary ballot.

On August 3, the US Court of Appeals, first circuit (which includes most New England states and Puerto Rico) ruled 5-2 that no international treaty requires the U.S. to let Puerto Rican resident-citizens vote for president.

On August 1, a Pennsylvania state court judge ordered that write-in votes for two candidates for local office should count, even though some of the voters wrote the names of the candidates in the wrong place on the mechanical voting machines. The case was called Petition to Cumulate Write-in Votes, no. GD05-16656 and 05-16659, 5th district Common Pleas Court (Allegheny County). As a result of the decision, the write-in candidates won the Republican primary for Kennedy Township Commissioner and South Fayette Township Treasurer.