UPDATE: "Electoral Purgatory" Lasts Longer Due To "Unforeseen Spike" In Covid-19 Work - Arizona AG Asks U.S. Supreme Court For Extra Extension In Libertarian Party Case (ARIZONA'S LEGAL SHORTS)

The Arizona Attorney General's Office today asked the U.S. Supreme Court for an additional brief Covid-19-related extension to file its response to a petition by the Arizona Libertarian Party. If granted, the state will have until May 7 to respond.

The Libertarian Party has been fighting the Legislature's 2015 changes to the statutes which have made it nearly impossible for the minor party to qualify any (non-Presidential) candidates for Arizona ballots. The Supreme Court thought enough of their petition that they asked the State to respond to the claims that the amendments violate Libertarians' constitutional rights by calculating the number of petition signatures necessary based on the numbers of Libertarian AND non-affiliated voters.

This, the party claims, places them in the "electoral purgatory" of being a qualified political party but unable to qualify any of its candidates to be placed on the ballot.

The state's extension letter - described as a final request - states that "This very brief extension
is requested due to the unforeseen spike in the volume of work required of the Attorney
General’s Office in representing and advising state agencies working hard to respond to
the COVID-19 process."

The Libertarian Party's attorney does not oppose the extension to May 7.