Three federal lawsuits are still pending on the question of whether presidential electors are free to vote for any person who meets the constitutional qualifications, or whether states can dictate whom they must vote for. The Minnesota case is now pending in the Eighth Circuit, and the oral argument will probably be in February 2018. Abdurrahman v Dayton, 16-4551. The plaintiff, a Democratic presidential elector, was expelled from the state’s meeting of presidential electors in December 2016. He lost in U.S. District Court; that court refused to allow a trial or the presentation of any evidence. The real issue now, in the Eighth Circuit, is whether the U.S. District Court should have permitted evidence.

The Working Families Party, which had been a qualified party in Vermont starting in 2009, has let its status lapse. It did not forward anything at tne end of 2017 to show that it still has town committees in at least ten towns.

On January 5, Ohio Governor John Kasich said there will be a special U.S. House election on August 7, to fill the vacant seat in the 12th district. The seat is vacant starting January 15, when incumbent Pat Tiberi’s resignation is effective.

The Governor also set May 8 as primary day for that election. His directive says independent candidates need a petition of 1% of the last gubernatorial vote, due May 7. But he did not say how a new political party may participate in that election. Currently the Green, Republican, and Democratic Parties are on the ballot, and the Libertarian Party is quite close to finishing its party petition.

The 12th district is in central Ohio. It includes Mansfield and the northern suburbs of Columbus.