The Vermont Supreme Court will hear Trudell v Markowitz, 2011-311, on Wednesday, September 12. This is the case that challenges the independent candidate petition deadline established by the legislature in 2009. The 2009 change moved the deadline from September to June, a drastic change that change has created many problems in the presidential election of 2012. Only one petitioning candidate for President, Peta Lindsay, met that deadline this year. Vermont is tied for having the nation’s earliest independent presidential deadline.

On a related matter, on August 20, Rocky Anderson submitted his presidential petition to the Vermont Secretary of State. The towns have certified more than 1,000 valid signatures, so he will be on the ballot unless the State Supreme Court issues a stay of the opinion in Anderson v State of Vermont. On August 6, the lower state court in that case had given Anderson and the Justice Party two more weeks to complete the petition.