On September 17, the West Virginia Republican Party filed a lawsuit in state court, arguing that the Secretary of State should have prepared one ballot for the special election for U.S. Senate, and another ballot for all the other offices. See this story. The case is Republican State Executive Committee v Tennant, in Circuit Court in Kanawha County.
This lawsuit would probably never have been filed, if West Virginia did not have a straight-ticket device. Republicans probably want two ballots because if there is only one ballot, and people see the U.S. Senate race at the top of that ballot, they are probably more likely to use the Democratic Party’s straight-ticket device, because the Democratic U.S. Senate nominee, Governor Joe Manchin, is perceived to be more popular than the Democratic Party generally. However, none of these considerations are discussed in the lawsuit.
Richard,
Your hypothesis that this lawsuit is motivated by Republican fear of Joe Manchin on the ticket makes no sense. Republican John Raese is at the TOP of BOTH the U.S. Senate ticket AND the straight ticket device. And, Republicans have viable candidates in all three U.S. House races (McKinnley, Capito, Maynard).
IMHO, this lawsuit is motivated by fear of the Constitution Party having access to the straight ticket in the 2nd congressional district by virtue of both my candidacy and Phil Hudok’s.
Note that Shelley Capito is a no show (so far) for a NAACP candidates forum in Charles Town next month where both of her opponents, Graf(D), and Hudok(C) have cordially accepted. See this article:
http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/548410/NAACP-disappointed-in-slow-response-for-forum.html?nav=5006
Yathink Capito is running scared from all of the Tea Party primary upsets?
Is there ANY part of the New Age election process that the EVIL ROBOT party hacks do NOT try to RIG ??? — due to the outrageous failure of the SCOTUS party hacks NOT bringing down more and more Bush v. Gore HAMMERS on the party hacks in the Congress and States.