Michigan Socialists Lose|Ballot Access Challenge

(CN) - The Socialist Party of Michigan failed to prove that it was too difficult to qualify for a spot on the November ballot, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled.

Dwain C. Reynolds III and the party challenged the constitutionality of the Michigan law that establishes the requirements for new or previously disqualified parties to qualify for the election.

The plaintiffs claimed that the requirements were too difficult, in terms of the number of signatures required and the cost to obtain them.

The lower court dismissed their lawsuit, and the court of appeals affirmed the ruling in a per-curiam decision.

"Plaintiffs contend, without undertaking any effort to satisfy the requirements to access the ballot, that the burden of doing so is too great, and this court should direct their placement on the November ballot," the judges wrote. "We disagree and find no merit to the plaintiffs' argument that (the law) should be invalidated on an equal protection argument."

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