The Reno Gazette-Journal has this lengthy, detailed story about how the Nevada Republican caucus of February 4, 2012, will be run. Participants must have been registered in the Republican Party no later than mid-January 2012. Thanks to Frontloading HQ for the link.
Ever since last year, the federal government has been suing New York state over its non-compliance with the 2009 law that requires states to mail overseas absentee ballots at least 45 days before any federal election or any primary for federal office. The case is U.S.A. v State of New York, 10-cv-1214, northern district. On October 31, the state again asked the judge to postpone deciding the case until the state legislature acts to move the September 2012 primary to an earlier month. See this story.
States with mid-September primaries can’t comply with the federal law, so almost all states have now eliminated such late primaries. As the story says, the legislature hasn’t acted yet because the Assembly wants the primary in June and the State Senate wants it in August. This issue has nothing to do with New York’s presidential primary, which has a separate election date, April 24, 2012.
Filing for the South Carolina Republican presidential primaries closes at 5 p.m., eastern time, on November 1. The primary is expected to include these nine candidates (in alphabetical order): Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, Gary Johnson, Ron Paul, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney, and Rick Santorum.
As in New Hampshire, ballot access in the South Carolina Republican primary is by filing fee. The South Carolina Republican presidential primary filing fee was $25,000 for those candidates who filed months ago, and $35,000 for those who filed more recently.
Over the weekend of October 29-30, the Idaho Democratic Party formally decided to continue to permit all registered voters to choose a Democratic Party primary ballot. See this story. The decision was expected. The Idaho Democratic Party have been critical of the Republican Party for having sued the state to obtain a closed Republican primary.
On October 31, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced that it will again hold presidential general election debates, and named the dates and locations for each of the four debates. The only vice-presidential debate will be October 11, at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky.
The three presidential debates will be: (1) October 3, University of Denver; (2) October 16, Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y.; (3) October 22, Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida.
Also on October 31, the Commission said that its old rules for inclusion will still apply: 15% in the polls and on the ballot in enough states to theoretically win the election.
The Commission is famous for its prejudice against minor party and independent candidates, but it is also seems unfair to the different regions of the country. The Commission has sponsored 26 debates for president and vice-president starting in 1988. Eleven have been in the South, seven in the Midwest, but only four in the East, and only four in the West. Thanks to Thomas Jones for this news.
