U.S. Supreme Court Relieves North Carolina of the Need to Restore Election-Day Registration

On October 8, the U.S. Supreme Court set aside last week’s Fourth Circuit order in the case over whether the state must restore election-day registration. Here is the order. Two justices dissented. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the link.

The big suspense now in connection with the U.S. Supreme Court is what it will do about Wisconsin’s government-photo I.D. law.

Hearing Set in Alabama Case over Ballot Access for Petitioning Candidates in Special Elections

U.S. District Court Judge Myron Thompson will hear oral arguments in Hall v Bennett, middle district, 2:13cv-663, on November 13 at 10 a.m. This is the case over whether the state must cut the number of signatures, or extend the deadline, in special congressional elections, because the petitioning time is so much shorter than in regular elections. The plaintiff in this particular case is an independent candidate, but the case applies equally to minor party petitions.

This case was filed in 2013. It had already had an oral argument earlier this year, but then the case was transferred to a different judge.

Charles County, Maryland Republican Party Supports Inviting Independent Voters to Vote in Republican 2016 Primary

On October 7, the Charles County, Maryland, Republican Central Committee resolved to ask the state party to let independent voters vote in Republican primaries in 2016. See this story.

The story quotes Todd Eberly, a political science professor, as saying that to his knowledge, Maryland has never had a major primary in which independent voters could vote. However, in 2000, the Maryland Republican Party let independents vote in its primary.