Libertarian Party sues NH Secretary of State over ballot access law
The NHCLU filed suit today against Secretary of State Bill Gardner over a ballot access law that makes it more difficult for parties other than the protected two to get …
Political Scientists Ray LaRaja and Brian Scaffner Say Laws that Weaken Political Parties Help Cause Polarization
Ray LaRaja and Brian Scaffner, political science professors at the University of Massachusetts, here argue that strong political parties reduce polarization. They also conclude that federal campaign finance laws, especially the McCain-Feingold law which still hobbles political parties, are partly to blame for weakening parties, and therefore increasing polarization. Thanks to several people for the(More)…
Curtis Gans Says 2014 Likely to Have Lowest Midterm Primary Turnout in History
Curtis Gans, an expert on the statistics of voter turnout, says in this article that 2014 seems likely to have the lowest primary voter turnout for any midterm year in U.S. history. Thanks to Thomas Jones for the link.
Florida State Court Says Legislative Candidates Need Not Live in District on Date They File
On July 18, a Florida state court ruled that legislative candidates cannot be required to live in any particular district. This is because the State Constitution sets the qualifications for state legislature. Like the U.S. Constitution, the Florida Constitution’s residency requirement only applies to a candidate’s residence on election day. Therefore, because the filing date(More)…
The FAA continues to crackdown on commercial drones
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) continues to crackdown on commercial usage of unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly called drones. In March, it was reported that the FAA had issued a cease-and-desist …
Georgia Election Officials Say Bill Bozarth, Independent Candidate for Legislature, Has Enough Valid Signatures
Bill Bozarth, an independent candidate for Georgia House of Representatives, has enough valid signatures to be on the November 2014 ballot. See this story. So far he is the only petitioning candidate to have succeeded in getting on the ballot for any federal or state office in Georgia this year. The Libertarian Party has a(More)…
Sixth Circuit Sets Oral Argument in Tennessee Ballot Access Case
The Sixth Circuit will hear Green Party of Tennessee v Hargett, 13-5975, on August 7, at 9 a.m in Cincinnati. This is the case in which the Green Party and the Constitution Party challenged the 2.5% petition for a group to become a qualified party. The U.S. District Court had struck down that petition requirement(More)…
The Feds vs Your Religious Freedom
Another reason to end the Surveillance State
Illinois Libertarians Likely to Survive Challenge to Statewide Petition
For the last four days, the Illinois State Board of Elections has been adjudicating the challenge for the statewide Libertarian Party petition, and also the statewide Constitution Party petition. The state requires 25,000 signatures. Libertarians turned in more than 43,000, and with the process two-thirds done, 44% of the challenged 23,000 signatures have been ruled(More)…
Four Parties Will Have Statewide Nominees on Rhode Island 2014 Ballot
The November 2014 election in Rhode Island will include statewide nominees from four political parties. The Moderate Party will have James B. Spooner for Governor, and William Gilbert for Lieutenant Governor. The Libertarian Party will have Tony Jones on the ballot for Lieutenant Governor. Rhode Island voters elect Lieutenant Governor separately from Governor. The Moderate(More)…