On September 17, a trial state court in Springfield, Illinois, held a hearing in the case filed by Republican Party challengers to the statewide Libertarian Party slate. See this story. Thanks to Robert Kraus for the link.
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Buzzsmart says there is some reason to believe that former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman is mulling over running for president in 2016 as an independent. Huntsman, for a few weeks in late 2011, had made up his mind to seek the Americans Elect nomination for president in 2012, but then he changed his mind. See this story (scroll down).
This Associated Press article by AP reporter Travis Loller gives an unusually comprehensive account of Tennessee’s history of hostility toward minor parties. It also reveals that there is still no decision on whether the Libertarian Party’s nominee for Governor this year will be on with the ballot label “independent” or “Libertarian.”
Arizona has semi-closed primaries, which means that independents can choose any party’s primary ballot, but party members are confined to voting in the primary of their own party. According to this story, last month, 70% of the independent voters who chose a partisan ballot chose a Republican ballot. The article does not say what percentage chose a Democratic primary ballot, and what percentage chose a Libertarian ballot, and what percentage chose an Americans Elect ballot.
Probably the missing data is available on the Secretary of State’s web page, but internet access is so poor from my vacation location, I can’t do that research. If anyone finds the information, please comment.
As to the problem that some recent posts say “comments closed”, that is an intended problem that ought to be correct soon, I hope.
On September 15, U.S. District Court Judge Robert E. Payne denied Virginia’s request to dismiss the Libertarian Party’s lawsuit challenging Virginia’s law on the order of candidates on general election ballots. The law says the nominees of the qualified parties always have the top spots on the ballot.
There will be another hearing on October 28 at 2 p.m. No matter what happens, the case won’t affect this year’s ballot.