South Carolina holds a special election to fill a vacant U.S. House seat, First district, on May 7. Three parties are nominating someone for that election. The Green Party will use a nominating convention on March 9 to choose either Eugene Platt or Larry Carter Center. The Democrats and the Republicans will choose their nominees by primary on March 19. With 16 Republicans running, it is likely the Republicans will also need a run-off primary, on April 2. Overseas and military absentee voters will use primary ballots that let them vote for several candidates and assign a ranking. Thanks to Eugene Platt for this news.

Alabama Representative Mike Ball (R-Madison) says he will soon introduce a bill to abolish government-funded run-off primaries. He says the bill would still allow a government-paid primary if no one in the first primary got at least 35%. See this story.

The Ninth Circuit will hear Townley v State of Nevada, 12-16881, on March 11 in San Francisco. This is the case that challenges the Nevada state law that puts “none of these candidates” on the ballot for statewide office, yet says even if “none of these candidates” wins, it has no effect. The challengers say that the existing law discriminates against voters who choose “none of these candidates”, because even if their choice wins, nothing happens.