Federal Court Orders Somewhat Later Primary Filing Deadlines for Texas

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On November 7, a 3-judge U.S. District Court in Texas issued an order, providing for somewhat later candidate filing deadlines for the Texas March 2012 primary. Candidates for all offices (including the presidential primary) now will file between November 28, 2011, and December 15, 2011. The old filing period had been November 12 to December 12. The case is Perez v State of Texas, western district, 11-cv-360.

The reason for the order is that the boundaries of the legislative districts may be invalidated by another 3-judge court in Washington, D.C. Having a somewhat later filing deadline gives more time for everyone to know what the district boundaries will be. Thanks to Tony Roza for this news.

Missouri Secretary of State Suggests Republicans Should Choose National Convention Delegates via Primary, not Caucus

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Missouri is holding presidential primaries on February 7 for the Democratic, Republican, Libertarian, and Constitution Parties. The Republican Party of Missouri has already said that the presidential primary results will not be used to determine the national convention delegates. Instead the Republican Party will choose delegates at caucuses in March.

Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, a Democrat, has this op-ed in the Kansas City Star, urging voters to vote, even though the Republican primary is just a beauty contest. However, her op-ed does not say that if the Missouri Republican Party were to use the primary, it would be in violation of national party rules and would run the risk of losing half its delegates.

Missouri will print up presidential primary ballots for each of the qualified parties, even if no one files in any particular party’s primary. Missouri permits write-ins in presidential primaries. To get on the ballot, a candidate must pay $1,000. So far, no one has signed up for the presidential primary ballots of the Democratic, Libertarian or Constitution Parties, but filing doesn’t close until November 22. Republicans who have already filed for the “beauty contest” primary so far are Herman Cain, Gary Johnson, Michael Meehan, Mitt Romney, and Rick Perry. Thanks to Nancy Hanks for the link.

One Year After Election, Hamilton County Juvenile Court Judge Race Still Unresolved

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The election of November 2, 2010, for Juvenile Court Judge in Hamilton County, Ohio, is still unresolved, and it is now more than one year since that election. The race between Tracie Hunter and John Williams was so close, the outcome depended on whether certain provisional ballots should be counted. The case has been in the Ohio Supreme Court, and all three levels of federal court, including the U.S. Supreme Court (which refused to get involved). See this story, which says that Hamilton County, in the election of November 6, 2011, will try to make sure the same problems with provisional ballots do not arise this time.

The 2010 dispute is pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th circuit. Certain voters cast provisional ballots and were directed by polling place officials to drop them off at the wrong end of the room. The room was the location of polling places for two different precincts, and some were deposited in the box for the wrong precinct.

Some in Occupy Wall Street Movement Coin the Name “Occupy Party”

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Some in the Occupy Wall Street movement seem to have started using the name the “Occupy Party”, and a webpage now exists with the name occupyparty.org. There is no indication on the web page that anyone is thinking of creating an electoral party, merely that if the Tea Party can use the term “party” for itself, why not the Occupy Party. The only information on the web page about organizing is that there will be an Occupy Party national meeting in Philadelphia starting on July 4, 2012, and continuing through October.

Oddly, the web page uses a picture of a crowd of smiling people who are looking up and waving American flags. When Americans Elect first set up its web page, it also used that same picture, although it was cropped to include less of the picture. Thanks to Howard Wilson for the news.

Arizona Green Party Will Use its Presidential Primary

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According to this letter to the editor by Green Party activist Haryaksha Gregor Knauer, the Arizona Green Party will use its presidential primary. The letter says that Jill Stein and Kent Mesplay will appear on the Green Party presidential primary ballot. No one can formally file for any party’s presidential primary until the period December 20-January 9. The presidential primaries will be February 28.

In 1996, the Arizona Democratic Party and the Arizona Libertarian Party won a lawsuit in state court, saying if a party doesn’t want a presidential primary, the state must not hold one. It is likely that in 2012, the Democratic, Libertarian, and Americans Elect Parties will tell the Secretary of State not to hold presidential primaries for them.