Judge reverses ruling on Libertarians’ bid to become Maine political party
Source: Bangor Daily News
PORTLAND, Maine — Libertarians in Maine scored a partial victory in federal court Friday and, as a result, have a second chance to complete an enrollment drive that was deemed insufficient last year by the Maine secretary of state’s office.
U.S. District Court John A. Woodcock Jr.’s ruling means a Brunswick-based nonprofit organization called the Libertarian Party of Maine Inc. has until July 12 to qualify as a party by securing 487 new valid enrollments, which when added to enrollments certified last year would put the organization over the statutory threshold of 5,000 enrollments.
In late 2015, the party submitted nearly 6,500 names, but only 4,513 of them could be verified as registered Maine voters. The organization sued the state in January, claiming that the state’s rules for establishing a political party are unconstitutional and that the appeals process in the matter was inadequate.
Woodcock rejected the Libertarians’ appeal in April but reconsidered after the Libertarians argued successfully the ruling was based on a misunderstanding by the court about what the Libertarians were seeking.
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Read more: http://bangordailynews.com/2016/05/27/politics/judge-reverses-ruling-on-libertarians-bid-to-become-maine-political-party/
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