Connecticut Court Orders a New Democratic Primary for Mayor of Bridgeport, After Evidence of Bulk Absentee Ballots Stuffed Into Drop Boxes

Posted on by November 6, 2023
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On November 1, a Connecticut state trial judge ruled that the results of the September 12, 2023 Democratic primary for Mayor of Bridgeport should be set aside, and a new primary held. Connecticut city elections are partisan. The incumbent Mayor, Joe Ganim, won the September primary by 251 votes, but the challenger, John Gomes, won the primary if absentee ballots are set aside.

Video cameras showed that some individuals dropped dozens of absentee ballots into the city’s drop boxes for absentee ballots. Yet state law doesn’t permit anyone except the voter to deposit an absentee ballot into a drop box, with certain exceptions. For example, a disabled voter can choose a family member to deposit the ballot. See this story. The case is Gomes v Clemons, Superior Court, Bridgeport, Fbt-cv-23-6127336-5.

The general election will proceed on November 7. The primary will be held afterwards, on a date not yet set. Presumably if Mayor Ganim is elected on November 7, and if the primary held afterwards is also won by Ganim, then he will be considered re-elected. If the general election is won by Ganim, but Ganim loses the Democratic primary held afterwards, then a new general election will need to be held. Thanks to Tim Smith for this news.

Texas Files Fifth Circuit Brief in Defense of Its Ban on Electronic Signatures

Posted on by November 6, 2023
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On November 1, Texas filed this brief in the Fifth Circuit in Miller v Doe, 23-50537. This is the case that challenges many Texas ballot access laws. In the court below, the ban on electronic signatures for minor party and independent candidates was struck down. Texas wants the Fifth Circuit to reverse that decision. Here is the state’s brief.

The other side’s brief is due December 1, and it will attack many of the ballot access laws that the lower court had upheld.

John Anthony Castro is One of Ten Republican Presidential Candidates who Qualified for South Carolina Primary

Posted on by November 5, 2023
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Filing has closed for the South Carolina Republican presidential primary. Candidates needed a fee of $50,000. Only ten candidates qualified: Ryan Binkley, Doug Burgum, John Anthony Castro, Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Vivek Ramaswamy, Tim Scott, David Stukenberg, and Donald Trump.

Castro has been suing to keep Trump off the ballot in numerous states. Defendants inevitably argue that Castro doesn’t have standing because he isn’t a “real” candidate, but the fact that he has not missed being on the ballot in any state in which the filing deadline has closed should help him rebut that. It is especially notable that he is on in South Carolina, whereas Asa Hutchinson is not.

Filing for the South Carolina Democratic primary doesn’t close until November 10.

For the Nevada Republican presidential primary and the competing Nevada Republican caucus, here is a list of candidates in each.

New York Bill to Eliminate Disaggregated Fusion, Except for Presidential and Gubernatorial Races

Posted on by November 4, 2023
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On October 27, New York Assemblymember Pat Burke (D-West Seneca) introduced A8178. It deals with ballot format. New York currently has disaggregated fusion, which means that when a candidate is the nominee of two parties, he or she can receive votes separately under each party label. Aggregated fusion is a system in which a candidate with two nominations is only listed on the ballot once, with both party labels attached next to the candidate’s name.

The bill would switch New York to aggregated fusion, except for President and Governor races. Here is a description of the bill from the New York legislature’s website.

The author says he wants New York ballots to be simpler, but it is not simplification to have two different types of fusion on one ballot. He probably made an exception for President and Governor because the current New York definition of a qualified party is tied to how many votes a party receives for those two races. It would be far simpler if his bill also amended the definition of a qualified party to be a group with a certain number of registered voters. That idea would have the advantage that a group could transform itself a qualified party at any time, by doing a registration drive.

The Conservative Party and the Working Families Party will surely be fierce opponents of A8178.