I have to admit, I find it a little delicious that the NH Libertarian Party is challenging a new state voting law in Federal Court given their views on federalism. John DiStaso at NH Journal received intelligence of the latest happenings:
The New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union today praised the U.S. District Court’s refusal to dismiss a lawsuit by the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire challenging a new state law the party and NHCLU say restricts ballot access and “voter choice” in the state.
House Bill 1542 requires a third party seeking to gain access to the ballot by collecting certified signatures to obtain those signatures in the same year in which the election is being held.”
“This may sound benign,” the NHCLU said, “but it will make the task of obtaining ballot access far more difficult — if not impossible — for third parties.”
The Attorney General’s Office moved to dismiss the suit, but the motion was denied today by U.S. District Court Judge Paul Barbadoro.
“This law limits voter choice and stacks the deck against candidates who — like roughly 40 percent of Granite Staters — don’t belong to a major party,” said Gilles Bissonnette, NHCLU staff attorney.
The judge ruled, “The Libertarian Party is entitled to proceed with its case under the fact-dependent framework that the Supreme Court has formulated for ballot access claims.”