On July 29, fifteen states filed an amicus in the Eighth Circuit in Eggers v Evnen, 22-2268. The brief, organized by the Arkansas Attorney General, says that county distribution requirements for statewide initiative petitions do not violate “one person, one vote”. The other states that signed the brief are Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, and West Virginia.

It is odd that the brief is signed by Alabama, Indiana, Louisiana, South Carolina, and West Virginia, because those states don’t even have the initiative process for statewide laws.

The U.S. District Court had enjoined the Nebraska county distribution requirement.

This Hawaii newspaper story relates the political history of Cedric Asuega Gates, who ran as a legislative Green Party nominee in 2014 at a very young age, polling 23.03% of the vote in a two-person race with a Democrat. Then, in 2016, he switched parties and got elected as a Democrat, and he has been re-elected every since. He is running for re-election this year, but is being challenged in the Democratic primary by the former incumbant.

The South Carolina legislature abolished fusion this year, but the bill doesn’t take effect for the 2022 election. The Alliance Party has nominated the Democratic nominee for State Superintendent of Education, so she will appear on the November ballot twice, once under each party label. That will probably be the last fusion example in the state for many years, and perhaps forever. Thanks to Scott West for this news.

The South Carolina Democratic Party has no nominee for several statewide races this year, including Agriculture Commissioner, Comptroller, Treasurer, and Attorney General. Also the party still doesn’t have a nominee for Lieutenant Governor, but it will choose one soon.