On August 8, an elected California public official filed a federal lawsuit to keep former President Donald Trump’s name off 2024 ballots. Schaefer v USA and Donald Trump, s.d., 3:23cv-1451. The plaintiff is a member of the California Board of Equalization, elected as a Democrat to the four-member board in November 2022. In the past, however, he has been a registered Republican.
So far, no action has been taken in the case. Here is the Complaint.
Whether you agree or disagree (and I largely agree) with the content of this excerpt of the book “Tyranny of the Minority: Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point,” by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, which will be released on September 12, 2023, you will probably learn a lot about the US and other democracies of the world. I highly recommend this article.
On August 30, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Pitman, an Obama appointee, struck down an Austin, Texas campaign finance restriction. Virden v City of Auustin, Texas, w.d., 1:21cv-271. The law forbade candidates for city office to receive campaign contributions more than one year before the election. Here is the 18-page decision.
It seems logical that if the First Amendment prevents governments from outlawing raising money outside of some designated period, by analogy the First Amendment ought to also prevent governments from barring candidates and parties from petitioning outside of designated periods. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that petitioning is First Amendment activity. Thanks to the Institute for Free Speech for news about this decision.
On September 6, the Democratic nominee for Mississippi Secretary of State, Shuwaski Young, withdrew from the race, citing health problems. Also on September 6, state election officials said the party is free to substitute a new nominee, even though the election is only two months away. On September 7 the Democratic Party chose a replacement, Ty Pinkins.
Mississippi election law doesn’t have a deadline for a party to replace a nominee. The election is November 7, 2023. Mississippi, Kentucky, and Louisiana are the three states electing governors this year.
This week, the Libertarian Party of California joined the ProRep Coalition, which seeks to have the California legislature elected through a proportional representation voting system.
This was covered on Independent Political Report. Thanks!
