Political science professor Hans Hassell of Cornell College in Iowa has posted a paper, “The Non-existent Primary-Ideology Link, or Do Open Primaries Actually Limit Party Influence in Primary Elections?”  He finds that in open primary states in which a major party has a fair chance of winning a seat, the party organization is able to help its preferred nominee, and discourage candidates it doesn’t like, by using its influence over individuals and organizations that make big donations.

The paper only deals with open primary states, not top-two primary states.

On May 23, the Montgomery daily newspaper, The Advertiser, ran this editorial, condemning Alabama’s ballot access laws and also criticizing the legislature for again failing to reform them.

This story explains the further actions coming, concerning Texas districts for U.S. House and state legislature.  The legislature’s regular session is about to end, but a special session to deal with redistricting is expected.  The 3-judge U.S. District Court in San Antonio will soon hold a hearing in the lawsuit dealing with the districts.  And the U.S. Supreme Court, either on May 28 or on one of the Mondays in June, will issue a decision on the continuing validity of part of the federal Voting Rights Act, which will impact Texas.