The newly-elected Democratic Secretary of State in Iowa, Michael Mauro, is expected to decide in a week whether to settle the lawsuit over voter registration. The lawsuit Iowa Libertarian Party v Culver was filed in September 2005, over Iowa’s voter registration system, which forces all voters to register “Democratic”, “Republican” or “Independent”. The lawsuit seeks the ability for voters to register into unqualified parties that place nominees on the ballot. The Iowa Attorney General has recommended that the state simply accede, and thereby end the lawsuit. However, the newly-elected Secretary of State will make the final decision.

In Ohio, newly-elected Democratic Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner must decide by February 5 whether to accept the victory in the ballot access lawsuit (won in September 2006) or appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. That lawsuit is called Libertarian Party of Ohio v Blackwell, and it struck down Ohio’s procedures for ballot access for new or minor parties.