On June 27, a New York State Supreme Court Judge in Richmond County struck down a new New York city ordinance that lets permanent resident non-citizens vote in elections for New York city office. See this story. The ruling says the city could do this, if it amended the city charter with a vote of the electorate. Thanks to Mike Drucker for this news.
UPDATE: the case is Fossella v Adams, 85007/2022. Here is the opinion. Thanks to ElectionLawBlog for the link.
Persons who signed the 2022 Green Party petition in North Carolina are getting multiple text messages and phone calls from persons working for the Democratic Party. The party submitted 22,000 signatures and when the counties checked them, they were told 16,000 are valid. The requirement is 10,000. The Democratic operation seeks to induce signers to withdraw their signatures.
The Green Party is unable to get more signatures during this period, and is furthermore forbidden by law from putting the names and addresses of signers in its database. Yet, the State Board of Elections has apparently furnished the list to the Democratic Party group.
One text says, “If the Green Party is on the ballot in 2022 and 2024, it will take votes away from the Democrats, giving Republicans a huge advantage that will help them win North Carolina in 2022 and 2024.”
Another text says, “Your name was listed on a petition to put the Green Party on the ballot. We just wanted to confirm whether you signed it or not.” It then lists choices, each with a checkbox, “Yes, I did sign”; “No, I did not sign”; “Not Sure”; “Wrong Number.”
Some of the phone calls claim the Green Party itself is calling.
Nothing in the North Carolina election law authorizes withdrawal of signatures from any type of petition, either before or after signing. The State Board of Elections will decide on July 1 whether to put the Green Party on the ballot.
The Socialist Workers Party is petitioning to place its nominee, Chris Hoeppner, on the ballot for U.S. House in Pennsylvania’s Third District. The requirement is 1,000 signatures. Assuming the drive succeeds, this will be the first the time SWP has appeared on the ballot in a Pennsylvania U.S. House race since 1998.
As already reported, on June 13, a U.S. District Court enjoined the Nebraska county distribution requirement for statewide initiatives. The state is asking the Eighth Circuit to stay the decision of the U.S. District Court. Eggers v Evnen, 22-2268. Here is the brief of the initiative proponents, arguing that the Eighth Circuit should not reverse the U.S. District Court. The proponents are trying to qualify an initiative concerning medical marijuana.
The state’s brief is due June 27, Monday.
Missouri election laws permit candidates to get on a partisan primary ballot with a filing fee. This year, for U.S. Senate, there are 21 candidates on the Republican primary ballot, eleven on the Democratic ballot, and one each on the Libertarian and Constitution primary ballots. See this story.
The filing fee for statewide office is $500. Indigent candidates for statewide office can get on the ballot without the fee if they submit a petition of one-half of 1% of the last vote cast for the office.
