The November 2024 Kentucky ballot in the 29th State Senate district has two names, but neither is eligible. The incumbent, who was running for re-election, was Johnnie L. Turner, but he died October 22. His death attracted considerable publicity because it was such an unusual accident. He was at home using a power lawn mover, but he drove it into the deep end of an empty swimming pool.

The other name on the ballot is independent candidate David Suhr, but he had announced earlier that he is ineligible to serve and he had asked voters not to vote for him.

It is possible a write-in candidate will win. Fortunately, Kentucky has a very late deadline for candidates to file as declared write-ins, and the deadline hasn’t passed yet. See this story.

On October 24, Cornel West filed this brief in the Third Circuit in his Pennsylvania ballot access case, West v Pennsylvania Department of State, 24-2913. The issue is whether presidential elector candidates must file a declaration of candidacy.

Late in the day on Wednesday, October 23, U.S. District Court Judge Michael Watson, a Bush Jr. appointee, issued a two-page order in Stein v LaRose, s.d., 2:24cv-04042. As he had said orally the day before, he said he would abstain and wait for the case to be resolved in state court. He directed that the results of the state court proceeding should be reported to him, implying that he would decide the case afterwards should either side be dissatisfied with the state court outcome. Here is the two-page order.