Idaho law provides for a presidential primary in May (simultaneous with the primary for other office). However, on July 16, the Republican State Central Committee voted to choose delegates to the national convention by caucus on March 6. Because the Democrats also usually choose delegates by caucus in Idaho, and because the state’s two ballot-qualified minor parties normally don’t use a presidential primary, this means the 2012 presidential primary in Idaho will be completely meaningless. Republicans will discuss with Democrats the idea of a bill early in the 2012 legisiative session to eliminate the presidential primary. Thanks to Josh Putnam of Frontloading HQ for this news.

On July 17, Jim Beam, who has been covering Louisiana politics and government for 40 years, wrote a column criticizing Governor Bobby Jindal for vetoing the bill that lets independent candidates use the label “independent”.

On July 13, the Socialist Workers Party submitted 7,080 signatures to place its nominee for U.S. House on the ballot in New York’s special election set for September 13. No other group or independent candidate submitted a petition. The law requires 3,500 for independent candidates, or the nominees of unqualified parties, for U.S. House, and the law does not reduce this number when the petitioning period is short (as it almost always is, in special elections).

The SWP collected these signatures in only four days. The only other candidates on the ballot will be the Democrat and the Republican, unless the Green Party exercises its right to nominate someone without a petition (the Green Party is a qualified party in New York, so it has this option).