Category Archives: ballot access

Third Party Candidate in Georgia Files Lawsuit Asking for Court to Order State To Accept a Lower Number of Signatures for Ballot Access

March 26, 2020, 1:22 pmballot accessRick Hasen

One issue that most people (including me) have not had a chance to delve into during this virus crisis is how it affects petitioning—both the ability of candidates and parties to get on the ballot as well as the qualification… Continue reading

New York: “Judge preserves fusion voting, negates public dollars for campaigns”

March 13, 2020, 7:55 amballot access, campaign financeRick Hasen

Buffalo News: A State Supreme Court justice has voided new rules adopted by a special commission paving the way for public financing of elections in New York State while making it harder for minor parties to qualify for the ballot.Justice… Continue reading

“Libertarians Win Fight Against Kentucky on Voting”

January 24, 2020, 7:15 amballot access, third partiesRick Hasen

Courthouse News: A change to the deadline for independent political candidates to register for elections signed is unconstitutional, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.Kentucky House Bill 114, signed into law by former Governor Matt Bevin in March 2019, changed the… Continue reading

“Thirteen Democrats qualify for Washington presidential primary, Trump sole choice for Republicans”

January 7, 2020, 2:58 pmballot accessJustin Levitt

The Seattle Times reviews who’s on and who’s off the Washington State primary ballot. And while the story focuses on the candidates on the ballot who may not still be actively contending by the time March 10 rolls around, the… Continue reading

“Paperwork problem blocks Andrew Yang from Ohio’s Democratic presidential primary ballot, campaign to launch write-in effort”

January 5, 2020, 1:02 pmballot access, political parties, primariesJustin Levitt

Ballot access is not for the faint of heart.

“Democracy itself is literally on the ballot”

January 4, 2020, 9:44 amballot access, election law and constitutional law, The Voting WarsJustin Levitt

Marc Elias in WaPo about his lawsuits on the ballot-order statutes giving unilateral pole position to candidates of one party.

“Federal judge overturns Michigan’s ballot access rule for independent candidates”

December 23, 2019, 2:50 pmballot access, third partiesRick Hasen

Detroit News: A federal district judge on Sunday overturned state law governing independent candidates’ access to the ballot and lowered the signature threshold for qualification in 2020. Michigan Eastern District Judge Victoria Roberts ruled that the state’s ballot access requirements… Continue reading

Arizona (So This May Have National Implications for 2020): “Libertarian Party tells Supreme Court state law keeps its candidates off ballot”

December 23, 2019, 9:37 amballot access, third partiesRick Hasen

Tucson.com: The Arizona Libertarian Party is making a last-ditch effort to quash a state statute that it says was designed to keep its candidates off the ballot.In filings with the U.S. Supreme Court, attorney Oliver Hall from the Center… Continue reading

“U.S. Supreme Court Won’t Hear California Ballot Access Case”

December 16, 2019, 12:57 pmballot accessRick Hasen

BAN reports.

“National Democratic groups sue Minnesota over ballot rules”

November 27, 2019, 1:35 pmballot access, third partiesRick Hasen

Star Tribune: Two national campaign committees supporting congressional Democrats have filed a federal lawsuit challenging ballot order rules that will list DFL candidates in Minnesota beneath their major-party rivals in the 2020 general election.The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court… Continue reading

New York: “Minor parties fear state commission trying to secure more power for major parties”

October 30, 2019, 7:36 amballot access, campaign finance, third partiesRick Hasen

Newsday: The panel is charged with developing a voluntary system of using state funds to help pay for political campaigns, but Cuomo and other legislative leaders also tasked the commission with looking at the merits of fusion voting. The… Continue reading

Republicans Snag Working Families Party Ballot Line Through Write-Ins in Local NY Election

October 23, 2019, 6:19 pmballot access, third partiesRick Hasen

27east.com: Working Families Party leadership is telling party members that the two Southampton Town Board candidates who will appear on its line on the November 5 ballot do not represent the party’s values — and they should vote for… Continue reading

Robert Bennett: Are Presidential Election Ballots Invalid?

October 21, 2019, 4:47 pmballot access, electoral collegeRick Hasen

The following is a guest post from Robert William Bennett of Northwestern Law: The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit recently held unconstitutional a Colorado law that forbade the state’s presidential electors from voting “faithlessly.” Under… Continue reading