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Independent candidate for Attorney General of Michigan Christopher Graveline, who was placed on the ballot in September as a result of litigation filed by CCD, is interviewed by Bridge Michigan here. Why is Graveline running? “When you allow the two parties to cement in the status quo, you are left with whatever they want to serve you, and that’s been dissatisfying to a lot of people now for a long time,” he explains.

#Michigan

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has denied the Michigan Secretary of State’s motion to stay the District Court’s order enjoining enforcement of Michigan’s ballot access requirements against independent Attorney General candidate Christopher Graveline. This order ensures that Graveline will appear on Michigan’s November 2018 general election ballot. See press coverage from the Detroit News here.

#Michigan

The federal District Court in Michigan has entered an order enjoining enforcement of Michigan’s ballot access requirements for statewide independent candidates against Christopher Graveline! Relying on Graveline’s evidence that no statewide independent candidate had ever complied with Michigan’s 30,000-signature requirement, the District Court ruled that “his name must be placed on the November 6, 2018 general election ballot as an independent candidate for the Office of Michigan Attorney General,” provided that he submits 5,000 valid signatures. Graveline had collected 14,157 signatures and is confident that more than 5,000 are valid. See press coverage from the Detroit Free Press here and from Michigan Live here.

#Michigan #independents

Following nearly six years of litigation and three successful appeals to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, CCD’s litigation challenging the constitutionality of Pennsylvania’s ballot access requirements for minor parties and independent candidates has concluded with a dramatic reduction in the signature requirement and an injunction against the imposition of litigation costs against candidates and parties who defend their nomination petitions when challenged by a private party. See the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette story here.

#Pennsylvania #thirdparties #independents #signatures #petitions

USA Today has published Oliver Hall’s letter to the editor raising the question whether Hillary Clinton should drop out of the 2016 presidential election so she doesn’t “spoil” the race for Libertarian Gary Johnson.

#lettertotheeditor #HillaryClinton #libertarians

Charles Thompson of the Harrisburg Patriot-News has published an historical account of the long struggle of minor parties and independents to access the ballot in Pennsylvania. Under the headline “Third Parties and the Efforts to Bury Them: How’d That Work Out,” Thompson raises the question whether this “rare victory for the little guys” is really a good thing. His answer? “In the longstanding American tradition of free speech and freedom to associate, you bet.”

#thirdparties #independents #Pennsylvania

The federal District Court in Pennsylvania has entered an order enjoining enforcement of Pennsylvania’s unconstitutional ballot access requirements for minor parties. The order prohibits the imposition of litigation costs against candidates and parties who defend their nomination petitions when challenged by private parties, and lowers the statewide signature requirement for minor parties to a flat 5,000 signatures. Press coverage by the Philadelphia Tribune is here.

#Pennsylvania #order

The Third Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the District Court decision holding Pennsylvania’s ballot access requirements unconstitutional as applied to minor parties.
See press coverage from Courhouse News Service here.

#Pennsylvania #appeal #decision

In editorials celebrating the federal court decision holding Pennsylvania’s ballot access requirements unconstitutional as applied to minor parties, both the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette urged Governor Wolf not to appeal and encouraged the Legislature to enact remedial legislation. Unfortunately, Governor Wolf announced that his office will file an appeal. “We expect another smackdown from a federal appellate court,” writes the Post-Gazette.

#editorials #Pennsylvania

The New York Times has published Oliver Hall’s letter to the editor responding to a piece by Todd Gitlin suggesting that electoral politics should be confined within the two major parties.

#lettertotheeditor