231074P.pdf   12/01/2023  Ind.-Alliance Party of Minn.  v.  Steve Simon
   U.S. Court of Appeals Case No:  23-1074
   U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota   
   [PUBLISHED] [Gruender, Author, with Stras and Kobes, Circuit Judges] 
   Civil case - Election law. The plaintiff challenged the lawfulness of a 
   Minnesota law, Minn. Stat. Sec. 204B.07, subd. 4, requiring that voters 
   swear an oath before signing a minor-party nominating petition, alleging 
   it violated the First Amendment; the district court declined to apply 
   strict scrutiny because the plaintiff plausibly alleged that "at most" the 
   oath requirement imposed an insubstantial burden on First Amendment 
   associational rights, and the important election interests justified that 
   insubstantial burden. Held: Not every electoral law that burdens 
   associational rights is subject to strict scrutiny, and the district court 
   did not err in rejecting plaintiff's argument that burdens to 
   associational rights automatically are subject to strict scrutiny; the 
   oath does not prevent signers from changing their mind after signing a 
   nominating petition and only requires them to swear it is not their 
   present intention to vote in the upcoming primary; as such, signatories do 
   not violate their oath if they change their minds and the oath is not a 
   severe burden on their associational rights; the insubstantial burden the 
   oath imposes is justified by legitimate state interests in promoting 
   election integrity and reliability by discouraging party raiding and 
   spoiler candidates.