DETROIT (AP) — A candidate who made a small ripple in his run for Michigan attorney general is havAing a major impact on state election law more than a year later.
A judge put Chris Graveline on the 2018 ballot after he challenged the signature requirement for independent statewide candidates. The same judge now has returned with a broader decision in his lawsuit, saying Michigan’s 30,000-signature threshold is too high.
U.S. District Judge Victoria Roberts set the bar at 12,000 petition signatures for the 2020 election. The ruling could immediately affect independent candidates who want to run for U.S. Senate or president. There are no races next year for Michigan governor, attorney general or secretary of state.
The 30,000-signature law was “not narrowly drawn to advance a compelling state interest,” Roberts said on Dec. 22.
It’s not known if the state will appeal.
Graveline finished fourth in the race for attorney general with less than 2% of the vote.
- Posted January 01, 2020
- Tweet This | Share on Facebook
Federal judge makes it easier for independents to get on ballot
headlines Oakland County
- Holiday Gala
- Jury finds Pontiac woman guilty of felony animal neglect following rescue of 37 animals
- Court of Appeals orders resentencing for 18-year-old in second degree murder case
- Local Gems Sweepstakes spotlights hundreds of Oakland County small businesses
- Nessel secures settlements with Menards, Hyundai and Kia, provides updates on Google settlement
headlines National
- Former judge sentenced to 12 years in prison for using public funds for vacations, personal purchases
- ACLU and BigLaw firm use ‘Orange is the New Black’ in hashtag effort to promote NY jail reform
- Attorney sentenced to 25 years in prison after taking client money for gambling
- Ex-DLA Piper partner accused of assault by former associate
- Legal leaders shoulder more stress, new survey shows
- Some noncitizens may have Second Amendment rights, federal appeals court says
