terwoven strands of liberty protected by the First and Fourteenth Amendments— namely, the ‘right of individuals to associate for the advancement of political beliefs, and the right of qualified voters, regardless of their political persuasion, to cast their votes effectively.’ ” Dudum, 640 F.3d at 1105-06 (quoting Anderson v. Celebrezze, 460 U.S. 780, 787, 103 S.Ct. 1564, 75 L.Ed.2d 547 (1983) (some internal quotation marks omitted)).7 As the Supreme Court has recognized, these rights are generally guaranteed by ensuring that political parties, including those that are new to the political scene, are given the opportunity to place their candidate on the ballot. See Ill. State Bd. of Elections v. Socialist Workers Party, 440 U.S. 173, 184, 99 S.Ct. 983, 59 L.Ed.2d 230 (1979) (“The freedom to associate as a political party ... has diminished practical value if the party can be kept off the ballot.”). Indeed, because “an election campaign is an effective platform for the expression of views on the issues of the day, and a candidate serves • as a rallying-point for like-minded citizens,” Anderson, 460 U.S. at 788, 103 S.Ct. 1564 “the right to vote is heavily burdened if that vote may be cast only for one of two parties at a time when other parties are clamoring for a place on the ballot.” Williams v. Rhodes, 393 U.S. 23, 31, 89 S.Ct. 5, 21 L.Ed.2d 24 (1968).
“At the same time,” however, “ ‘States retain the power to regulate their own elections.’ ” Dudum, 640 F.3d at 1106 (quoting Burdick v. Takushi, 504 U.S. 428, 433, 112 S.Ct. 2059, 119 L.Ed.2d 245 (1992)). “Common sense, as well as constitutional law, compels the conclusion that government must play an active role in structuring elections.” Id. at 1103 (quoting Burdick, 504 U.S at 433, 112 S.Ct. 2059). The Constitution itself “provides that ■ States may prescribe ‘the Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives.’ ” Bur-dick, 504 U.S. at 433, 112 S.Ct. 2059 (quoting U.S. Const, art. I, § 4, cl. 1 (brackets omitted)). And, “[t]o achieve these necessary objectives, States have enacted comprehensive and sometimes complex election codes.” Anderson, 460 U.S. at 788, 103 S.Ct. 1564. Moreover, every law regulating elections, “whether it governs the registration and qualifications of voters, the selection and eligibility of candidates, or the voting process itself, inevitably affects — at least to some degree — the individual’s right to vote and his right to associate with others for political ends.” Id.
Thus, in order to “resolve the tension between a [party’s] First Amendment rights and the state’s interest in preserving the fairness and integrity of the voting process,” the “Supreme Court developed a balancing test.” Rubin v. City of Santa Monica, 308 F.3d 1008, 1014 (9th Cir.2002). “In considering a constitutional challenge to an election law, we must weigh the character and magnitude of the asserted injury to the rights protected by the First and Fourteenth Amendments against the precise interests put forward by the State as justifications for the burden imposed by its rule.” Nader v. Cronin, 620 F.3d 1214, 1217 (9th Cir.2010) (per curiam) (internal quotation marks omitted).
Accordingly, “the severity of the burden the election law imposes on the plaintiffs rights dictates the level of scrutiny applied by the court.” Id. (quoting
7
Although Plaintiffs assert both First and Fourteenth Amendment claims, "[t]he Supreme Court has addressed such claims collectively using a single analytic framework.” Dudum, 640 F.3d at 1106 n. 15. Plaintiffs agree that this "single analytic framework” applies here.