On September 15, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court said it will hear the Green Party’s case over whether 67,070 or 15,494 signatures are needed this year for a statewide minor party or independent candidate petition. It all depends on whether the statewide judicial retention election of November 2005 was an “election”. In a retention procedure, candidates do not run against each other. Instead, the incumbent justice is on the ballot with a “yes” and a “no” next to his or her name, and the voters decide whether to retain the justice.

The New Mexico federal judge who is handling the Libertarian Party ballot access case has cancelled the hearing set for Monday, Sep. 18. Instead she will issue a ruling on September 18, based on the written briefs. The Libertarian Party is seeking an injunction to place its New Mexico nominees on the ballot.

The New York State Board of Elections will not ask for a rehearing, or a rehearing en banc, in the 2nd circuit, in the Lopez Torres case. This is the case in which both the U.S. District Court, and the 2nd circuit, had ruled that ballot access is too difficult for candidates trying to get on major party primary ballots for Delegate to Judicial Nominating Conventions (these party meetings choose party candidates for New York Supreme Court seats). The law required 75,000 signatures of party members who were trying to get a full slate of delegates on primary ballots, in the whole state.

However, the State Board of Elections may ask for the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case, but that decision need not be made until December.