On December 12, the Second Circuit refused to rehear Libertarian Party of New York v State Board of Elections, 22-44, the lawsuit against the severe 2020 ballot access changes.
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On December 9, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed A1819. It bans the words “Independent” and “Independence” from being part of the name of a qualified party. However, those words can still be used as ballot labels for candidates who use the independent procedure.
The New York Libertarian-Green Party request for a rehearing in the ballot access case is still pending. It was filed November 2. The case attacks the 2020 ballot access changes, tripling the statewide petition and toughening the definition of a qualified party.
On December 5, the Seventh Circuit heard Gill v Illinois State Board of Elections. The issue is the Illinois 5% petition requirement for minor party and independent candidates for U.S. House. See this Courthouse News Story about the oral argument.
On December 4, my spouse and I drove to a friend’s house in southern California. The first night there the murphy bed apparatus, which had been installed badly, crashed down on top of my spouse, breaking his leg and shoulder and requiring several weeks of hospitalization and therapy in southern California, 500 miles from our home. I must turn my attention to that, and forego blogging.