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.
The Coalition for Free & Open Elections (COFOE) has endorsed California ACA 16, the bill to repeal the top-two system. The vote was 6-1.
This is old news, but has not previously been mentioned by BAN. In 2018, the Kentucky legislature moved the petition deadline for non-presidential independent candidates, and the nominees of unqualified parties, from the second Tuesday in August, to the first Monday after the first Tuesday in June. The change, made by HB 381, passed unanimously in both houses. The Governor declined to sign it, but he didn’t veto it either, so it became law effective after the 2018 election.
The bill didn’t change the presidential petition, which continues to be in early September.
