Filing has closed for Louisiana congressional elections. Republicans are running in all six districts. Democrats are only running in the First, Second, and Third Districts. Libertarians are running in all districts except the First District. Independent candidates are running in the First, Fifth, and Sixth Districts. Thanks to Randall Hayes for this information.

There are no congressional primaries in Louisiana. All candidates run in November. Generally the incumbent, or some candidate, gets at least 50% and is elected. But if no one gets 50%, there is a runoff in December. This system was used in Louisiana 1998 through 2006. In 2006, the legislature decided it didn’t like that system, and changed it effective 2008 to a semi-closed primary and an orthodox general election. But then, after a few years, the legislature decided it didn’t like that either, and went back to the old system effective this year.

The Iowa Secretary of State’s web page shows that eight presidential candidates will appear on the November ballot. They are the nominees of the Democratic, Republican, Constitution, Green, Libertarian, Party for Socialism and Liberation, and Socialist Workers Parties. Also an independent candidate, Jerry Litzel, qualified. His vice-presidential running mate is Jim Litzel. Here is a fairly recent newspaper story about Jerry Litzel, although it does not mention that he is running for president.

The Party for Socialism and Liberation’s presidential nominee in Iowa this year is Gloria La Riva, the stand-in for Peta Lindsay.

On August 16, Texas asked the Fifth Circuit to issue a stay in Voting for America v Andrade, 12-40914. On August 17, the voting rights organizations who had filed the lawsuit filed a brief, asking the Fifth Circuit not to issue a stay. The U.S. District Court had struck down several Texas restrictions on voter registration drives. Among the laws struck down was one making it illegal for anyone who doesn’t live in Texas to help register voters in Texas. Here is the state’s brief. Here is the opposing brief from the voter registration organization.

The Fifth Circuit is one of the circuits that has never ruled on in-state residency requirements for petition circulators or registration drive workers. The Fifth Circuit includes Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. None of those three states has ever barred out-of-state petition circulators. Circuits that have struck down in-state residency requirements for petitioners include the Sixth, Seventh, Ninth, and Tenth Circuits. The Eighth Circuit has upheld them, at least in instances at which the plaintiffs couldn’t show real harm.