Vox has this story, saying that Donald Trump could not run in Michigan outside the major parties in November if he had first been on the Michigan presidential primary ballot. The story is incorrect. Michigan does not bar independent presidential candidates from the November ballot because they ran in a presidential primary.

The Michigan sore loser law says, “168.695. No person whose name was printed or placed on the primary ballots or voting machines as a candidate for nomination on the primary ballots of one political party shall be eligible as a candidate of any other political party at the election following that primary.” The law has no application to candidates who seek to use the independent presidential procedure.

On August 10, ABC News broadcast this story, saying a senior advisor to Donald Trump has said that Trump is considering soon making a pledge that he will not run for President outside the Republican Party. The story also says he will this week put out position papers on immigration and trade and that he is about to start campaigning in Iowa and New Hampshire.

But, later on August 10, Trump himself said he is not inclined to make that promise at this time. See this story. Thanks to Bill Van Allen for that link.

Veteran politics reporter Dick Meyer here writes that the U.S. badly needs a three-party system. Thanks to John Carey for the link.