Tennessee election to feature no candidates due to ballot issues

A Tennessee state legislative district will have no candidates on the ballot in the upcoming November election, necessitating a write-in campaign for any potential winner. G.A. Hardaway, the Democratic lawmaker who previously represented the district, passed away in April. It was later determined that he did not submit enough ballot signatures to qualify for the August primary, falling one short of the required 25 signatures. The Commercial Appeal reports that the Shelby County Commission appointed Hardaway's son, T.J. Hardaway, to fill the seat temporarily. However, T.J. Hardaway has suspended his plans for a write-in campaign earlier this month. Issues with ballot access have been noted in various states across the country. In April, New Mexico GOP state Rep. Rebecca Dow was removed from the ballot after a judge ruled that her submission of nominating petitions did not adequately allow voters to review or withdraw their names. This decision was later reversed by the state Supreme Court, allowing her back on the ballot. In June, Democrats effectively secured a Republican-held seat in Florida when Rep. Paula Stark was disqualified from the ballot for failing to file her campaign finance disclosures on time, leaving only Democrats eligible to run.