The 2012 Republican Party national platform has this plank on the electoral college: “We oppose the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact or any other scheme to abolish or distort the procedures of the Electoral College. We recognize that an unconstitutional effort to impose ‘national popular vote’ would be a mortal threat to our federal system and a guarantee of corruption as every ballot box in every state would become a chance to steal the presidency.”

Under existing law, there isn’t one “procedure” for the electoral college. In Maine and Nebraska, each U.S. House district chooses its own presidential elector, whereas in the other 48 states and D.C., the winner-take-all rule applies. One can’t determine whether the Republican Party plank is meant to oppose the Nebraska/Maine method or not. Also the Texas Constitution says if the vote within Texas for president is too close to be adjudicated, the state legislature has the authority to choose the state’s presidential electors. One wonders if the plank is meant to express disapproval of the Texas provision.

The plank’s last sentence seems to be an admission that under current law, the voters of most states do not actually help determine who wins the presidential election.

Oklahoma state officials have acted to keep Gary Johnson off the Oklahoma ballot. On August 17, the Attorney General issued a 20-page opinion saying the State Board of Elections should disregard the action of the state officers of Americans Elect, who had nominated Gary Johnson for President on July 21. But, he kept this opinion a secret from the Americans Elect Party state officers. UPDATE: here is an Oklahoma news story.

He also kept it a secret from Jim Linger, attorney for the Libertarian Party ballot access lawsuit. But he told Linger on the phone that the Attorney General’s office, and himself, did not lend any credence to the claim of national leaders of Americans Elect that the party should be removed from the ballot. Therefore, Linger, feeling optimistic about Gary Johnson being on the ballot as the Americans Elect presidential nominee, voluntarily agreed on August 20 to postpone further legal action in the Libertarian Party’s ballot access lawsuit (which had been filed on January 31, 2012) until next year. The lawsuit had been stalled for two months because the state’s expert witness, Professor Clifford Jones, was out of the United States.

The Attorney General’s opinion, which was only made known to the public on August 29, says that because the national leaders filed the notice of intent to qualify a political party last year, the wishes of the national leaders of Americans Elect (who don’t want any Americans Elect candidates on the ballot for any office in 2012), should be respected, and the state officers of Americans Elect should not be respected. The Attorney General Opinion refers to the state officers as “the local group”. The Attorney General’s Opinion mentions that the national leaders of Americans Elect have a trademark on the name “Americans Elect”, but the Opinion does not mention any case law to support the idea that trademark controls this case. On January 19, 2012, the 9th circuit ruled that trademark law has no relevance to political party names. That decision is Washington State Republican Party v Washington State Grange, 676 F.3d 784. Nor does the Attorney General Opinion acknowledge that there are Americans Elect Party nominees in Arizona this year for Congress and county office.

It is likely that the state officers of Americans Elect will sue the State Board of Elections to safeguard their ability to place a presidential nominee on the ballot. The state chair of Americans Elect, Rex Lawhorn, was an original supporter of Americans Elect, from the very beginning of the creation of Americans Elect. He worked hard to set up facebook pages and physical meetings of his fellow Americans Elect members and enthusiasts.

U.S. District Court Judge Paul Borman has set an oral argument for August 30 on whether to expedite the lawsuit Libertarian Party of Michigan v Ruth Johnson. The argument will be via conference call, and starts at 10 a.m. eastern time. The Michigan Secretary of State has been fiercely trying to persuade the judge not to adjudicate the case until after the election is over.