Howard Megdal has this article in Salon, suggesting that the Republican presidential primaries and caucuses might elect a delegate field in which no one candidate has a majority of the delegates. He also suggests that in that case, it is possible that the convention might choose someone for President who did not even run in the presidential primaries. The last major party nominee who had not run in any primaries or caucuses was Hubert Humphrey, the Democratic nominee in 1968. Thanks to both Political Wire and Rick Hasen for the link.

The major party conventions throughtout most of the nation’s history were much earlier, so it was somewhat more practical for the national conventions themselves to make the decision as to whom to nominate. For most of the 20th century, major party presidential conventions were in June. The upcoming Republican convention won’t convene until August 27, 2012.

On November 22, the South Carolina Supreme Court issued an opinion in Beaufort County v South Carolina Election Commission, 27069. The 3-judge majority interpreted the state law to mean that the counties must pay for some of the election administration costs for the Republican presidential primary. Two judges dissented. Here is the opinion.

On November 22, a U.S. District Court in Illinois ordered the filing period shifted to a later period, for candidates for U.S. House running in Illinois primaries. The statutory period for filing petitions for primary ballot access is November 28 through December 3. But the order shifts this period to December 23-27. See this story. The reason for the shift is that no one can know for sure what the boundaries of the districts will be.

The change has no effect on the deadline for independent candidates, and the deadline for nominees of unqualified parties. Their petitions, which must contain 5,000 signatures, are due on June 25, 2012.