Five New Mexico Democratic legislators have introduced HB 54 and SB 73. They would allow independent voters to choose a partisan primary ballot on primary day. And such voters would not need to join the party whose primary ballot they had chosen. The sponsors are Senators Bill O’Neill and Siah Hemphill, and Representatives Dayan Hochman-Vigil, Natalie Figueroa, and Meredith Dixon.
On January 18, the U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. circuit, heard oral argument in Stein v Federal Election Commission, 21-1213. The three judges are Karen Henderson (a Bush Sr. appointee), Robert Wilkins (an Obama appointee), and Gregory Katsas (a Trump appointee). The issue is whether Jill Stein, Green Party presidential nominee in 2016 must repay $175,000 in primary season matching funds. Stein has two arguments, a constitutional argument and a statutory interpretation argument, and either one by itself would relieve her of the need for any repayment.
The hearing seems to have gone reasonably well, and the oral argument link will be available later. Check back if that is interesting to you.
Pennsylvania is holding a special election to fill the vacant 27th State Senate seat on January 31. Libertarian nominee Thomas Anderson was omitted from that ballot because his Statement of Economic Interests was late. He had thought the Statement of Economic Interests he had filed last year in another legislative election would suffice. When he learned otherwise, he filed it, but it was fifteen minutes too late. See this story.
Georgia law permits individuals to give more money to the Republican and Democratic nominees for Governor and Lieutenant Governor, than they may give to other candidates for the same office. The Georgia Libertarian Party is in court to overturn that law. The U.S. District Court had said the plaintiffs lack standing.
On December 13, the party filed this brief in the Eleventh Circuit. Graham v Georgia Attorney General, 22-13396.
Texas Representative Bryan Slaton (R-Royse City), has introduced HB 239. It would create partisan registration in Texas. Currently no Texas voter registration form or any other goverenment form asks voters to choose a party. Here is the text. Thanks to Jim Riley for this news. The bill would apparently permit voters to register as members of an unqualified party.
