|
|
|
|
Welcome to the Friday, March 27, Brew. Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:
- Follow along on Ballotpedia’s daily coronavirus updates
- Filing deadline roundup
- Georgia Supreme Court to review decision to cancel supreme court election
Updates on stories related to the coronavirus outbreak are current through Thursday afternoon. Click here for the latest news.
|
Coronavirus daily update
As I’m sure you know, the coronavirus situation is a whirlwind that changes daily—if not hourly—and it’s difficult to keep up with it all. With so much ever-changing, fast-paced news, it’s our goal to provide you with the quality, up-to-date information about how the coronavirus is affecting every aspect of politics.
That’s why I’m excited to share with you our daily coronavirus briefing. Each evening we break down and summarize for you the major changes of the day in the world of politics, government, and elections that have come out of the coronavirus situation.
Below you can read a selection of the briefing that went out last night. I hope you enjoy it. If you never want to miss a thing, you can follow along on Ballotpedia with all our coronavirus updates by clicking here. Best of all, our coverage is completely free!
Federal responses
- Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said the House would move to approve the third coronavirus relief package on Friday. The U.S. Senate passed the legislation 96-0 on Wednesday night. The legislation includes $1,200 in direct payments to individuals making up to $75,000 annually.
Election changes
Overview to date:
- Fourteen states and one territory have changed state-level primary or general election dates. Six states changed municipal election dates on a statewide basis.
- Five states adjusted their candidate filing procedures.
- Eleven states implemented changes to their voting procedures.
- Political parties in nine states made changes to party events on a statewide basis.
Details:
- The Indiana Election Commission authorized the temporary suspension of the state's statutory absentee voting eligibility requirements, allowing all voters to cast their ballots by mail in the June 2 primary election.
- On Wednesday, Ohio lawmakers unanimously approved legislation extending mail-in voting in the state's primary election to April 28 and canceling in-person voting entirely. The governor indicated he intends to sign the bill into law. Ohio's primary was originally scheduled for March 17.
- Also on Wednesday, Pennsylvania lawmakers unanimously approved a bill postponing the state's primary election, originally scheduled for April 28, to June 2. Gov. Tom Wolf (D) said he intends to sign the bill.
Ballot measure changes
Overview to date:
- Ballotpedia tracked 10 statewide initiative petition drives that suspended signature gathering.
- Three states changed ballot measure procedures.
Details:
- Oregon - Henry Wessinger, who filed an initiative petition on behalf of State of Safety Action, announced that the campaign would not circulate its initiative petition targeting the 2020 ballot due to the coronavirus pandemic. The initiative would have provided regulations regarding firearms and firearm storage.
|
|
Filing deadline roundup
On Tuesday, we briefed you on Omari Faulkner, a U.S. Senate candidate in Virginia who filed a lawsuit against election officials and the state Republican Party alleging the state’s social distancing guidelines made it too difficult for him to gather enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. Faulkner asked to have the signature requirements invalidated or reduced.
Here’s a quick update: Richmond Circuit Court Judge W. Reilly Marchant granted Faulkner’s request and lowered the signature requirement for Republicans running for Senate to get on the ballot from 10,000 signatures to 3,500. Marchant’s order was limited to Republican candidates filing for the 2020 primary for the U.S. Senate seat from Virginia.
Virginia’s statewide filing deadline passed yesterday.
Now, on to the next batch of filing deadlines! We’ve got another flurry of them next week: South Carolina and New Jersey on March 30, South Dakota and Missouri on March 31, and Tennessee and New York on April 2.
Below are some modifications officials are making to the candidate filing process in those states due to the coronavirus outbreak:
- The South Carolina Elections Commission is allowing candidates to make appointments to register and to send someone else to register in their place, providing disposable pens, and keeping their offices open even if others have to close.
- New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) is allowing candidates to file nominating petitions online.
- County clerks in Missouri are provided curbside service for candidates wishing to file.
- New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) reduced petition signature requirements for primary candidates and suspended the signature-gathering process effective March 17
We’ve also heard from a number of candidates whose campaigns have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. For instance, Shelby Hunt, who is running in the Republican primary for Ohio’s 15th Congressional District, noted how the changes in election dates have affected his employment: "I took time away from my primary employment for the campaign and now in my particular circumstance will need to find some additional clients or employment to carry through the extended campaign. I had contingencies in place, but they were based on a March 17 primary."
We’ll be holding a discussion for candidates on Wednesday, April 1, at 1:00 P.M. Eastern. This will be an opportunity to share stories and discuss how the pandemic is effecting candidates with other candidates. If you are a candidate who would like to take part, please reach out to me at [email protected] for an invite.
|
Georgia Supreme Court to review decision to cancel supreme court election
Two candidates are challenging the cancellation of a regularly scheduled election for a seat on the Georgia Supreme Court. An election for Justice Keith Blackwell’s seat had been scheduled for May 19, but it was canceled after Blackwell announced on February 28 he was retiring effective November 18, 2020.
Blackwell’s retirement will create a vacancy on the court. State law provides that the governor appoints justices to fill any vacancies created on the court. Subsequently, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) canceled the election to allow Gov. Kemp (R) to appoint Blackwell's successor.
Former Congressman John Barrow (D) and former state Representative Beth Beskin (R), who both had planned to run for Blackwell’s seat, filed separate legal challenges in the Fulton County Superior Court requesting the court to order Raffensperger to move forward with the regular election in place of a gubernatorial appointment. On March 16, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Emily Richardson denied the petitions, ruling neither petitioner showed they had a clear legal right to require the secretary of state to hold an election.
Barrow and Beskin both appealed Judge Richardson's decision to the Georgia Court of Appeals, which transferred Barrow's case to the state supreme court. Beskin appealed to the high court directly.
The Georgia Supreme Court issued an order consolidating the two cases and ordering an expedited review of the legal question. Five of the eight sitting justices recused themselves from the case and were replaced by substitute justices. Chief Justice Harold Melton, Presiding Justice David Nahmias, and Justice Sarah Warren did not recuse themselves.
Under the expedited timetable set by the court, Barrow and Beskin had to file briefs by yesterday—March 26. In the meantime, the Georgia Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC) received applications from 29 applicants who hope to succeed Blackwell. When a vacancy appears on a state court, the JNC solicits applications and interviews candidates. The commission then submits a list of five names to the governor for consideration. The governor is not required to select an individual from that list.
|
|
Ballotpedia depends on the support of our readers.
The Lucy Burns Institute, publisher of Ballotpedia, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible to the extent of the law. Donations to the Lucy Burns Institute or Ballotpedia do not support any candidates or campaigns.
|
|
|
|
|
