While states have control over the mechanics of voting, such as filing petitions with a certain number of signatures, they can’t impose eligibility requirements beyond what Article II, Section 1, Clause 5 of the Constitution provides…:If California and other Blue States want to impose such a condition, then the US Constitution would need to be amended to allow them to do so. The chances of them getting such an amendment through Congress and then ratified by 3/4ths of the states before the 2020 election cycle is zero. The chances of getting it ratified at all is pretty close to zero.
No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.A tax-return requirement on presidential candidates bears no relationship to the mechanics of voting, and is an unconstitutional eligibility test. A state can no more limit eligibility to candidates who disclose tax returns than it could require that only candidates who can run a mile in under 8 minutes are eligible for the presidential ballot.
The court issued a Temporary Restraining Order from the bench and Judge England has stated he will issue a final ruling by the end of the month. Of course, I have no doubt California will appeal and I expect this case will make its way to the Supreme Court where it will die a well-earned death when they tell California “Shame on you! What the hell were you thinking?”
I expect the bleating from the California Kooks to start in 3…2…1….