Alabama: the 11th circuit will hear Hall v Merrill, 16-16766, on Wednesday, December 13, in Atlanta. The issue is whether Alabama can require a petition of 3% of the last gubernatorial vote in special U.S. House elections, given that the petitioning period in special elections is shorter than for regular elections. The U.S. District Court had ruled that Alabama must ease the requirements in special U.S. House elections, and the state is appealing. The three judges are William H. Pryor, a Bush Jr. appointee; R. Lanier Anderson, a Carter appointee; and Jill Pryor, an Obama appointee.

Arkansas: a U.S. District Court in Little Rock will hear Moore v Martin, 4:14cv-65, on December 12 at 9:30 a.m. The issue is the March 1 petition deadline for non-presidential independent candidates. The Eighth Circuit already heard this case and remanded it back to the U.S. District Court. The U.S. District Court had originally upheld the deadline. The Eighth Circuit had then ruled that the deadline is unconstitutional unless the state can show that it cannot manage to check the validity of the petitions without a deadline as early as March 1. The December 12 hearing will give the state an opportunity to establish its assertion.

California: the Ninth Circuit will hear Soltysik v Padilla, 16-55758, on Thursday, February 8, 2018, in Pasadena, at 9:30 a.m. The issue is whether it is constitutional to let some candidates for Congress and partisan state office have party labels on the ballot, while forcing others to disguise their party and instead have “party preference: none” on the ballot. The plaintiff-candidate is a registered Socialist.

New Jersey: the Third Circuit will hear Wilmoth v Guadagno, 17-1925, on January 23, 2018. The issue is New Jersey’s ban on out-of-state circulators for primary petitions. The U.S. District Court had upheld the restriction.