On August 4, a South Carolina state trial court put Danny Ford back on the Republican primary ballot for U.S. Senate.  The special Republican primary is set for August 11.  Ford had been removed from the ballot because the Republican Party felt he had broken a new party rule, which says that no one can be on a Republican primary ballot unless he or she had voted in at least two of the three most recent statewide Republican primaries.  Ford v South Carolina Republican Party, court of common pleas, 2026-CP-40-05213.

Here is the opinion, which says the party rule is hopelessly vague.  The rule doesn’t define “statewide primary” and the judge wondered if the August 11 primary even qualifies as a separate primary.  It is a special primary, which follows the regular June 2 primary.

Tennessee holds general elections for county office on August 6.  In Moore County, the ballots have already been printed, and they list the independent candidate for Sheriff above the only other candidate, who is the Republican nominee.  This article has a picture of the ballot.  The Republican Party is threatening to sue, because state law says party nominees are always listed first on the ballot, ahead of independent candidates.

There have been a fair number of lawsuits about general election ballot order.  Some have resulted in decisions saying the Constitution requires that each candidate have an equal opportunity to be listed first, either with a random process or by rotation.  When states are sued over laws that give the major parties the top spot on the ballot, states usually defend their laws by saying ballot order doesn’t make any difference.  But clearly, the Moore County Republican Party does believe ballot order makes a difference.