In December 2010, Alabama Circuit Court Judge Howard Hawk, who serves in Marshall County, announced he had changed his party affiliation from Democratic to Republican. But earlier this month, the Republican Party Executive Committee of that county passed a resolution asking Judge Hawk to switch back to the Democratic Party. The judge declined that request, and says he has support from the state Republican Party. See this story.

Alabama elects trial court judges in partisan elections. Thanks to Ed Still’s VoteLaw blog for the link.

Virginia Delegate Mark Cole (R-Fredericksburg) has introduced HB 1507, to move the 2011 primary from June 14 to September 13. Virginia holds elections for state office in odd years, including 2011, of course. The reason for the bill is that there is little time for states with odd year elections for state office to draw new district boundaries after a census. The new boundaries probably won’t exist until July. Even if the legislature rushes a new redistricting plan, the Voting Rights Section of the U.S. Justice Department must approve the new boundaries.

The bill would also change the petition deadline for independent candidates, and the nominees of unqualified parties, from June to September. A federal law passed by Congress in 2009, to help overseas absentee voters, has the effect of requiring all states to eventually hold primaries no later than August. However, that bill only controls federal elections. Therefore, Virginia is free to hold September primaries in 2011, a year when only state office is on the ballot.

Utah state representative Craig Frank (R-Cedar Hills) moved to a new home on January 1, 2009, but he believed his new home was still in the district he had been representing. However, the new home was not in his district. No one noticed, and he filed for re-election in 2010 and was re-elected. Then he himself discovered the problem. The legislature may be called into special session to redraw the boundaries. See this story.

The district is overwhelmingly Republican. Frank received 77.47% of the vote in the November 2010 election. His Constitution Party opponent, Curt Crosby, received 6.82%; his Democratic opponent, James Crismon, received 15.71%. Thanks to Rob Latham for the link.