SJC orders relief for 9/1 state primary participants

This afternoon the Supreme Judicial Court issued a decision giving relief to those seeking to qualify for the September 1 primary election:

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SJC-12931
ROBERT GOLDSTEIN & others vs. SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH.
Suffolk. April 16, 2020. – April 17, 2020.

. . .

In short, for all candidates seeking to appear on the State
primary ballot on September 1, we order three forms of relief.
First, we order that the number of required signatures be
reduced by fifty percent (50%). Second, we extend the deadlines
for candidates running for State district and county offices to
submit their nomination papers to local election officials for
certification and for the filing of certified nomination papers
with the Secretary to May 5, 2020, and June 2, 2020,
respectively, which are the current due dates for party
candidates running for Federal and Statewide offices. Third,
subject to the restrictions outlined later in this opinion, we order the Secretary to allow the submission and filing of
nomination papers with electronic rather than wet-ink original
signatures (“wet” signatures). We emphasize that the
declaration we make and the equitable relief we provide is
limited to the primary election in these extraordinary
circumstances, which is the sole subject of the case before us,
and does not affect the minimum signature requirements for the
general election this year or for the primary elections in any
other year.