On April 17, the Nebraska Secretary of State announced that the petition for party status for the No Labels Party is valid. The signatures had been submitted on March 19, before No Labels decided not to enter the presidential race.
10
On April 17, the Natural Law Party of Michigan, which is ballot-qualified, nominated Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., for president. The party has a tradition of nominating minor party or independent presidential candidates to help them with ballot access.
In 2020, it nominated Rocky De La Fuente, nominee of the Alliance Party. In 2016 it nominated Mimi Soltysik, the Socialist Party nominee. In 2012 it nominated Rocky Anderson, Justice Party nominee. In 2008 it nominated Ralph Nader, an independent candidate that year. In 2004 it nominated Walt Brown, the Socialist Party nominee. Of course before then, it always nominated the national nominee of the Natural Law Party, John Hagelin.
On April 17, Alabama legislative committees in both houses passed bills to move the certification deadline for presidential nominees from August 15 to August 23. The bill also moves the independent presidential petition deadline from August 15 to August 23. The bills, if passed, will take effect immediately and will relate not only to 2024, but future presidential elections.
SB 324 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee; HB 448, which is identical, passed the House Constitution, Campaigns and Elections Committee.
On April 17, U.S. District Court Judge William Ray heard oral arguments in Catoosa County Repuoblican Party v Catoosa County Board of Elections, 4:24cv-95. The hearing was in Rome and lasted from 9:40 am until 1 pm. See this story. It seems unlikely that the judge will issue an injunction removing the challenged candidates from the May primary ballot. The same issue is pending in the State Supreme Court, but that Court won’t hear the case until August.
Another issue in the federal case is whether the county party’s proposed statements of policy should be on the Republican primary May ballot.
According to this story, Ohio Republican State Senator Matt Huffman (R-Lima) predicts that if the Democratic Party sues Ohio over the August 7 deadline for a qualified party to certify its presidential and vice-presidential nominees, the Democratic Party would win that lawsuit. He mentioned the unanimous U.S. Supreme Court precedent Trump v Anderson, issued on March 4, 2024, that said the Constitution does not permit states to block presidential candidates and thus create a “patchwork” of ballot access.
Senator Huffman is chair of the Senate Rules & Reference Committee.
On April 5, the Catoosa County (Georgia) filed a federal lawsuit to keep certain candidates off the Republican primary ballot for County Commission. Catoosa County Republican Party v Catoosa County Board of Elections, n.d., 4:24cv-95. The case is assigned to U.S. District Court Judge William Ray, a Trump appointee.
The primary is May 21. The party feels that some of the candidates (which includes some incumbents) are not bona fide Republicans. A state trial court already ruled in favor of the county board of elections. Thanks to Ned Foley for this news.