Buckley v. American Constitutional Law Foundation, Inc., 525 U.S. 182, 51 (1999)

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232

BUCKLEY v. AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONAL LAW FOUNDATION, INC.

Rehnquist, C. J., dissenting

and thus cut down on the size of the audience the initiative proponents could reach? Cf. Meyer, 486 U. S., at 422-423. And if initiative petition circulation cannot be limited to electors, it would seem that a State can no longer impose an elector or residency requirement on those who circulate petitions to place candidates on ballots, either. At least 19 States plus the District of Columbia explicitly require that candidate petition circulators be electors,3 and at least one other State requires that its petition circulators be state residents.4 Today's decision appears to place each of these laws in serious constitutional jeopardy.

III

As to the other two laws struck down by the Court, I agree that the badge requirement for petition circulators is unconstitutional. McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Comm'n, 514 U. S. 334 (1995). I also find instructive, as the Court notes, ante, at 197, n. 18, that Colorado does not require such badges for those who circulate candidate petitions. See generally Colo. Rev. Stat. § 1-4-905 (1998).

I disagree, however, that the First Amendment renders the disclosure requirements unconstitutional. The Court affirms the Court of Appeals' invalidation of only the portion of the law that requires final reports to disclose information

3 See Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 16-315 (1996); Cal. Elec. Code Ann. § 8106(b)(4) (West 1996); Colo. Rev. Stat. § 1-4-905 (1998); Conn. Gen. Stat. § 9-410 (Supp. 1998); D. C. Code Ann. § 1-1312(b)(2) (1992); Idaho Code §§ 34-626, 34-1807 (Supp. 1998); Ill. Comp. Stat., ch. 10, §§ 5/7-10, 5/8-8, 5/10-4 (Supp. 1998); Kan. Stat. Ann. § 25-205(d) (1993); Mich. Comp. Laws § 168.544c(3) (Supp. 1998); Mo. Rev. Stat. § 115.325(2) (1997); Neb. Rev. Stat. § 32-630 (Supp. 1997); N. Y. Elec. Law §§ 6-132, 6-140, 6-204, 6-206 (McKinney 1998); Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3503.06 (1996); 25 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 2869 (1994); R. I. Gen. Laws § 17-23-12 (1996); S. D. Comp. Laws Ann. § 12-1-3 (1995); Va. Code Ann. § 24.2-521 (Supp. 1998); W. Va. Code § 3-5-23 (1994); Wis. Stat. § 8.40 (1996); Wyo. Stat. § 22-5-304 (1992).

4 See Ga. Code Ann. §§ 21-2-132(g)(3)(A), 21-2-170(d)(1) (1993 and Supp. 1997).

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