Opinion of the Court
State's Cannot Include Comments About a Candidate's Positions on the Ballot
This case was granted certiorari on April 17, 2000, and was affirmed on February 28, 2001. In a unanimous decision, the Court struck down Article VIII of the State of Missouri’s Constitution, which required information on a candidate’s position on term limits to be printed on the State’s election ballots. The following is excerpted from the summary of the majority opinion written by Justice Stevens, as prepared by the Court Reporter of Decisions:Petitioner’s argument that Article VIII is a valid exercise of the State’s reserved power to give binding instructions to its representatives is unpersuasive for three reasons. First, the…
