On October 14, U.S. District Court Judge John J. Tharp, an Obama appointee, enjoined a new Illinois law that makes it illegal for out-of-state persons to contribute anything to the campaign of a judicial candidate. Chancey v Illinois State Board of Elections, n.d., 1:22cv-4043. Here is the opinion. Thanks to the Institute for Free Speech for the link.
On Friday, October 14, the Wyoming Joint Corporations, Elections & Political Subdivisions Committee defeated 23LSO-0192, a proposal for a top-four system, in which parties would no longer have nominees, except for presidential electors.
The Wyoming legislature is not in session, but many committees are holding interim hearings. If the top-four measure had received support from the committee, then the committee would have become the sponsor of the bill in the 2023 session.
On October 17, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Fitisemanu v U.S., 21-1394, the case over the meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment’s citizenship clause and the status of persons born in American Samoa.
On October 16, the Atlanta Press Club held a debate for the three candidates for U.S. Senate. However, the Republican nominee did not attend, so the debate was between the Democratic and Libertarian nominees. See this story. Thanks to Thomas Jones for the link.
On October 5, U.S. District Court Judge Leigh Martin May issued an order in Cowen v Raffensperger, 1:17cv-4660. This is the case over Georgia’s ballot access requirements for U.S. House, for independent and minor party candidates. The order says both sides will submit a proposed scheduling order by October 19.
The reason the case is still alive is that the courts still haven’t ruled on whether the petition requirement violates the Fourteenth Amendment. Originally the U.S. District Court had found that the law violates the First Amendment, and did not consider the Fourteenth Amendment issue. Then the Eleventh Circuit had reversed the U.S. District Court on the First Amendment, and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear that part of the case.
