Resource: Eason v. Whitmer

A candidate for The House of Representatives and voter in MI argues that MI’s ballot access procedures in combination with emergency declarations issued in MI violate his 1st and 14th amendment rights both as a voter and a candidate. He claims that independent candidates are required to gather six times the number of signatures as party candidates who apparently were allowed to obtain signatures electronically, obtain fewer signatures, and were given an extension in order to be placed on the ballot and that in combination with the declaration of emergency he is effectively precluded from having his own name on the ballot in the Nov. 3 election. His two claims are both as-applied challenges to MI’s signature requirements claiming violations of freedom of speech, equal protection, and due process by preventing him from running and preventing him from voting. He seeks declaratory relief that the signature requirements are unconstitutional as applied and injunctive relief barring the requirements either extending the deadline, reducing the requirement, or placing his name on the ballot.