On May 11, U.S. District Court Judge James M. Moody, Jr., moved the trial in Libertarian Party of Arkansas v Martin from August to July 11. The issue is whether the Libertarians who were nominated at a convention a few months ago should be on the November ballot. The Libertarian Party, as a new party, nominates by convention and does not have a primary. The state law says new parties must have their only nominating convention more than a year before the general election. Although the Libertarian Party did comply with this law and nominated many candidates in November 2015, since then it has held another nominating convention, and nominated more candidates.

The party contests the law that says all its nominees must have been chosen more than a year before the election. The judge’s decision to move the hearing to July shows that he is taking the case seriously.

The major parties nominate all their candidates in a March primary in the election year itself.