On October 12, a U.S. District Court judge dismissed a case filed by one unit of the Republican Party of Virginia. The party had filed a lawsuit to validate its bylaw, that people who have voted in the Democratic Party in the last 5 years cannot vote in the Republican primary, unless they sign a pledge of loyalty to the Republican Party. The judge said since the case would have no effect until 2007, the case isn’t ripe. He said it should not be re-filed until early 2007.