The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, one of the two daily newspapers for that city, has this editorial scolding the Pennsylvania legislature for not updating the state’s ballot access laws.  See here.

The editorial only focused on the ambiguity in the law on the number of signatures needed for a statewide independent candidate.  It could have been even stronger if it had mentioned that there are six other Pennsylvania ballot access laws that have been struck down by courts, but never amended.  The most shocking example is that in 1984, Pennsylvania’s May petition deadline for independent petitions was struck down, but the legislature has never, in all those years, amended the code to reflect the August 1 date that is actually in force.

The editorial starts out with a factual error.  It says George Washington was not a member of a party.  Actually he was the leader of the Federalist Party.  The leading issue under Washington’s presidency was foreign affairs.  The Federalist Party was more favorable to Britain, and despised the French Revolution.  The Democratic-Republican Party had the opposite view.  Washington was so hostile to the French Revolution, when the French ambassador presented himself to Washington for the first time, Washington had a portrait of King Louis XVI (who had been beheaded by the Revolutionary government) hanging on the wall in his office.  Washington was careful to have leaders of both major parties in his cabinet.

Also Washington was not opposed to parties.  He was opposed to partisanship and warned against it in his Farewell Address.

On August 12, the Washington State Democratic Party challenged Robert F. Kennedy, Jr’s ballot position.  See this story.

The procedure that Kennedy used has been normal in Washington state for over 30 years.  Although the state law talks about attendees at a nominating convention, that has long been interpreted to mean an outdoor meeting, with passersby signing, is permitted.