As reported earlier, last week the Pennsylvania Supreme Court invalidated the Redistricting Commission’s redistricting plan for Pennsylvania legislative districts, and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court also said the districts that have been in place for ten years should be used in the meantime.

On January 30, the Speaker of the Pennsylvania House filed a federal lawsuit, arguing that the U.S. Constitution does not permit the use of the old districts, because population has shifted since 2000. See this story.

Last month, the Washington, D.C., city council passed bill 19-547, which changes the petitioning period for independent candidates and the nominees of unqualified parties, for President and all other partisan office. Petitioning can now begin two weeks earlier, and the deadline is two weeks earlier. For 2012, the period opens on June 15 and petitions are due on August 8. Thanks to Bob Johnston for this news.

D.C. does permit presidential stand-ins on petitions, so the changed period does not necessarily prevent an unqualified party from choosing its presidential nominee during August of an election year.

According to this story, four Republican territorial legislators in the Northern Mariana Islands have left the Republican Party and will run for re-election as independent candidates.