Category Archives: ballot access

“The Battle for the Ballot in New Jersey”

April 30, 2025, 8:18 amballot accessRick Hasen

Gene Mazo has posted this draft at SSRN (Seton Hall Law Review). Here is the abstract: A scholarly literature has recently emerged to study, document, and measure the effects of New Jersey’s unique ballot bracketing system, colloquially known as the… Continue reading

“Ohio GOP pushes new rules that voting rights groups say will make it harder to get issues on the ballot”

April 23, 2025, 5:02 amballot access, direct democracy, election administrationTravis Crum

Cleveland.com: The next time someone asks you to sign a petition, they might be wearing a government-issued badge. Republicans say voters deserve to know when someone is being paid to gather signatures, and that a badge will make the… Continue reading

“Kansans intrigued by potential of bringing voters together with multi-party candidate nominations”

March 18, 2025, 1:33 pmballot accessDerek Muller

A look at fusion reform efforts in Kansas from the Kansas Reflector.

“The county line is officially gone with a new primary ballot design for New Jersey, but advocates may sue again”

March 17, 2025, 9:29 amballot access, primariesDerek Muller

Philadelphia Inquirer: New Jersey has a new primary ballot design now that Gov. Phil Murphy has signed it into law — though it remains to be seen whether it the measure will be challenged in court. With the governor’s… Continue reading

Antebellum fusion

February 25, 2025, 4:20 pmballot access, political partiesJustin Levitt

Justin again. I had the “pleasure” of teaching Timmons v. Twin Cities Area New Party again yesterday. Timmons was a federal constitutional challenge to “anti-fusion” laws: laws preventing two parties on the ballot from nominating the same candidate (and thereby… Continue reading

“The new question ballot-measure pollsters have to ask”

December 3, 2024, 10:14 pmballot access, direct democracyJustin Levitt

Politico highlights something California voters saw for the first time this year: 5 supporters and 5 opponents for each ballot measure, right on the ballot.

New Article: “A Path to Multiparty Democracy”

November 29, 2024, 7:36 amballot accessTabatha Abu El-Haj

Nate Ela (Temple Beasley School of Law) has posted a new article in relation to the state constitutional challenges to anti-fusion laws that are currently underway. Building on the work of Jessica Bulman-Pozen and Miriam Seifter, Ela argues that many… Continue reading

“Losing GOP candidate for NC Supreme Court challenges 60,000 ballots as recount starts”

November 21, 2024, 5:34 amabsentee ballots, ballot access, judicial elections, provisional ballots, recounts2024 Election Cycle, North CarolinaTabatha Abu El-Haj

News&Observer: Jefferson Griffin, the Republican candidate for North Carolina Supreme Court, requests a recount where he trails by 625 votes while also filing “a series of election protests on Tuesday challenging the validity of over 60,000 ballots cast across… Continue reading

Richie: “Weaponizing Minor Parties: 2024 Edition”

November 5, 2024, 3:32 pmalternative voting systems, ballot access, third partiesRick Hasen

The following is a guest post from Rob Richie: Weaponizing Minor Parties: 2024 Edition By Rob Richie The presidential election will come down to which candidate wins in the seven swing states – the same closest states from 2020 that… Continue reading

Breaking: Justice Alito Won’t Put Cornel West’s Name at this Late Date on Pennsylvania Ballot

October 31, 2024, 2:36 pmballot access, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

The Justice acted without referring the matter to the Court, something that only happens when a matter is unlikely to attract the support of even a single Justice.

“Supreme Court rejects RFK Jr. plea to be removed from ballot in two swing states”

October 29, 2024, 2:34 pmballot access, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

NBC News: The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a long-shot bid by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who ended his independent presidential campaign, seeking his removal from the ballot in the key swing states of Wisconsin and Michigan. Kennedy has… Continue reading

Cornel West is Still Trying to Get on the PA Ballot, While Voting is Already Underway

October 24, 2024, 8:55 amballot accessRick Hasen

Third Circuit motion for injunction pending appeal.

Federal Court Won’t Give Cornel West Order to Get on PA Ballot at This Late Date Pending Appeal to Third Circuit

October 19, 2024, 7:41 amballot accessRick Hasen

Order.

En Banc Sixth Circuit Rejects Attempt to Reconsider Ruling Rejecting RFK Jr.’s Attempt to Get Off Michigan Ballot

October 17, 2024, 7:26 amballot accessRick Hasen

You can read a set of opinions here. From Judge Clay’s concurrence: Plaintiff’s complaint also suffers from flaws on the merits. Plaintiff’s theory of injury, for example, argues that that “once the ballots are printed” with his name on… Continue reading

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