Nevada Green Party Wins Ballot Access Lawsuit

On August 12, a Nevada state trial court ruled that the Green Party should remain on the ballot.  Nevada State Democratic Party v Nevada Green Party, 24 oc-00107.  The Green Party was last on the Nevada ballot in 2010.

One of the phrases that should have been on the petition was missing, but that is because the Secretary of State’s office had given the party the wrong form.  The judge ruled that the omission is not important and that the petition substantially complies with the law.  Also the Democratic Party had alleged there weren’t enough valid signatures, but the judge found the Democratic Party was mistaken about that.

New York State Trial Court Removes Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., From the Ballot

On August 12, a New York state trial court judge in Albany removed Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., from the ballot, on the grounds that his address on his declaration of candidacy was not accurate.  Cartwright v Kennedy, 906349-24, Albany Co. Supreme Court.

See the decision here.

The judge had refused to let Kennedy make arguments about the constitutionality of the law.  He will appeal.  The decision does not mention Trump v Anderson, the U.S. Supreme Court decision that said Article Two implicitly bars letting states reject presidential candidates from the ballot, thus creating a “patchwork.”  Nor does the decision deal with the point that the true candidates in a presidential election in November are the candidates for presidential elector.

This is only the second time in U.S. history that a presidential candidate has been removed from a general election ballot on the basis that a residence address on an election document is not accurate.  The first instance was in 2020, when the Wisconsin State Board of Elections removed the Green Party ticket because the vice-presidential nominee had moved during the petition drive, so that her address was inaccurate on some of the petition sheets.

If the decision is not reversed, New York will probably be the only state in November in which only two names are on the ballot for president.

Maine Democrats Challenge Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Cornel West Petitions

Maine Democrats have challenged both independent presidential petitions submitted early.  They say the Kennedy petition has the wrong address for Kennedy’s residence, and that Kennedy submitted too many signatures.  They say the Cornel West petitioners sometimes misrepresented the contents of the petition.  See this story.  The Secretary of State will adjudicate the challenge on Wednesday, August 14.

The qualified parties in Maine are Democratic, Republican, Green, and Libertarian.  No Labels was qualified earlier this year but asked to be decertified.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Wins North Carolina Ballot Access Lawsuit in State Court

On August 12, a North Carolina state court trial judge ruled that the We the People Party should remain on the North Carolina ballot.  This is the party that nominated Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., for president.  See this story.  The hearing was on August 12 and the judge ruled at the conclusion.

The State Board had accepted the party’s petition, but then the Democratic Party had sued to reverse that decision.

UPDATE:  see this story, which has more detail about the court hearing than the first story.

Six Petitioning Presidential Candidates Submit Ohio Petitions

The Ohio deadline for independent presidential candidates, and the nominees of unqualified parties, passed on August 7.  Six presidential petitions were submitted:  for the nominees of the Green, Socialism & Liberation, American Solidarity, and Dr. Shiva Parties; and for independent presidential candidates Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Richard Duncan.

The three qualified parties are Republican, Democratic, and Libertarian.