Major Pending Election Cases

Ohioans for Reproductive Rights v. Ohio Ballot Board

Filing Date:

August 28, 2023

Status:

resolved

State:

Ohio

Topic:

Ballot Language

Most Recent Court:

Supreme Court of Ohio (No. 2023-1088)

Issue(s):

Lawsuit challenging the ballot language for The Right to Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety amendment. Plaintiffs allege that the language drafted by the Ohio Ballot Board "aims improperly to mislead Ohioans" in violation of Ohio law and the Ohio Constitution. Plaintiffs allege the ballot language mischaracterizes the amendment and does not include all the protections that the amendment would grant Ohioans. Additionally, the plaintiffs claim that ballot language's word choice is meant to sway voters against the amendment by, for example, including the term "unborn child" despite the term appearing nowhere in the ballot measure. Plaintiffs ask the court to order the Ohio Ballot Board to reconvene and adopt the full text of the amendment as the ballot language. Alternatively, the plaintiffs ask the court to order the Ohio Ballot Board to adopt language that properly describes the amendment.

One Person One Vote v. LaRose

Filing Date:

May 12, 2023

Status:

resolved

State:

Ohio

Topic:

Ballot Language

Most Recent Court:

Supreme Court of Ohio (No. 2023-0630)

Issue(s):

Relators ask the Ohio Supreme Court to issue a writ of mandamus directing Ohio Secretary of State LaRose to remove a constitutional amendment proposal, S.J.2, from the August 8, 2023 special election ballot. S.J.2 would increase the threshold to pass constitutional amendments from 50% to 60% of the vote for future elections. Relators argue that Ohio law does not allow for statewide special elections in August.

One Person One Vote v. Ohio Ballot Board

Filing Date:

May 23, 2023

Status:

resolved

State:

Ohio

Topic:

Ballot Language

Most Recent Court:

Supreme Court of Ohio (No. 2023-0630)

Issue(s):

Relators challenge the adopted ballot language for Senate Joint Resolution 2, a proposed amendment to the Ohio Constitution that would raise the threshold necessary to pass any future constitutional amendments from 50% to 60%. They argue that the defendant used language that is inaccurate and incomplete and violates the Ohio Constitution. Relators also argue that the amendment's title is not impartial and creates prejudice in favor of the Amendment. They seek a writ of mandamus compelling the defendants to reconvene and rewrite the language of the amendment.

One Wisconsin Institute v. Thomsen

Filing Date:

May 29, 2015

Status:

resolved

State:

Wisconsin

Topics:

Absentee Ballots, Equal Protections Clause, Voter ID, Voter Suppression, Voting Rights Act

Most Recent Court:

7th Circuit Court of Appeals (16-03091)

Issue(s):

Lawsuit which challenged aspects of Wisconsin's election laws, particularly its laws limiting early voting locations, reducing the early vote period, restricting vote registration, increasing residency requirements, invasive poll monitoring, the elimination of straight-ticket voting, changes to absentee voting, and Wisconsin's voter ID law. The plaintiffs claimed that the laws violated Section 2 of the VRA, the 1st Amendment, the Equal Protections Clause, the 15th Amendment, and the 26th Amendment.

Paher v. Cegavske

Filing Date:

April 21, 2020

Status:

resolved

State:

Nevada

Topic:

Improper Election Administration

Most Recent Court:

U. S. District Court for the District of Nevada (Case 3:20-cv-00243)

Issue(s):

Plaintiffs allege that the all-mail election plan implemented by Nevada's secretary of state of stripping vote-fraud prevention safeguards established by the legislature violates voters’ (i) right to vote under the U.S. Constitution (due to vote dilution), (ii) right to vote in a federal election compliant with the U.S. Constitution at Article I, § 4, cl. 1, and (iii) right to a republican form of government under Article IV, § 4 of the U.S. Constitution.

Pennsylvania Alliance for Retired Americans v. Lancaster County Board of Elections

Filing Date:

June 7, 2024

Status:

resolved

State:

Pennsylvania

Most Recent Court:

Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas

Issue(s):

PARA is challenging Lancaster County policy disqualifying mail-in ballots missing the final two digits of the calendar year, alleging the policy violates the non-discrimination clause of the State Constitution of Pennsylvania. Plaintiffs seek injunctive relief to permit ballots with incomplete dates in the November 2024 general election.

People First of Alabama v. Merrill

Filing Date:

May 1, 2020

Status:

resolved

State:

Alabama

Topic:

Improper Election Administration

Most Recent Court:

U.S. Supreme Court (20A67)

Issue(s):

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Plaintiffs challenge 1) the requirement that an affidavit that must be included with an absentee ballot be signed by the voter in the presence of either a notary or two adult witnesses; (2) the requirement that copies of photo identification accompany absentee ballot applications; (3) the requirement that copies of photo identification accompany certain absentee ballots; and (4) the prohibition on curbside voting. Plaintiffs assert that by not amending these policies the state is inappropriately limiting Alabama's citizens right to vote.

Pirkle v. Wolf

Filing Date:

November 10, 2020

Status:

resolved

State:

Pennsylvania

Topics:

2020 Presidential Election Case, Absentee Ballots, Improper Election Administration

Most Recent Court:

U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania (4:20-cv-02088)

Issue(s):

Whether certain Pennsylvania counties unlawfully counted ballots that should not be included in the state's certified results

Priorities USA v. Benson

Filing Date:

October 30, 2019

Status:

resolved

State:

Michigan

Topic:

Absentee Ballots

Most Recent Court:

U. S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (Case 19-cv-13188)

Issue(s):

Case concerns a constitutional challenge to Michigan's signature match laws, which require election officials to reject absentee applications and ballots if they determine that the signature provided with the applications or ballots does not match the voter's signature on file with election authorities.

Priorities USA v. Nessel

Filing Date:

November 12, 2019

Status:

resolved

State:

Michigan

Topics:

Improper Election Administration, Voter Suppression

Most Recent Court:

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (20-01931)

Issue(s):

Plaintiffs challenge Michigan's Voter Transportation Ban and Absentee Ballot Organizing Ban, arguing that the bans violate the First and Fourteenth Amendments.

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