On October 11, the Sixth Circuit struck down an Ohio law that relates to provisional ballots. Ohio has many polling stations that include multiple precincts voting in the same building. Ohio law says that if a voter casts a provisional ballot in the right building but at the wrong table (each precinct has its own table) due to poll worker error, the vote is void. The decision says that restriction on counting that particular kind of vote is unconstitutional. The case is Service Employees International Union v Husted. This issue may seem obscure, but the principle is important, and represents another instance in which an important court has ruled that election officials must treat each voter equally. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the news.

On August 10, the Republican Party asked the IRS to rule that Americans Elect cannot make independent expenditures in support of Angus King, the independent candidate for U.S. Senate in Maine. The Republican Party says Americans Elect is a 501(c)(4) and because it has no general charitable activities, it is misusing its 501(c)(4) status by having helped King. Thanks to Alex Hammer for this news.

This year, three candidates appear on the Ohio ballot for U.S. Senate: Democrat Sherrod Brown, Republican Josh Mandel, and independent Scott Rupert. A recent Survey USA poll shows these results: Brown 42%, Mandel 38%, Rupert 4%, undecided 14%, won’t vote 2%.

A recent Gravis Marketing Poll for the Michigan U.S. Senate race shows these results: Democrat Debbie Stabenow 48%, Republican Pete Hoekstra 39%, Libertarian Scotty Boman 7%, undecided or other 6%. The poll did not name the other candidates who are on the ballot, but they include Green Party and U.S. Taxpayers (Constitution) Party nominees.

If Boman polls at least 5%, the Libertarian Party will qualify for its own primary in 2014. Currently, the party is ballot-qualified and nominates by convention.