On June 30, Michigan Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Weaver filed to run for re-election as an independent candidate.  See this story.  She had been elected in 1994 and 2002 as a Republican nominee.

Michigan election law provides that qualified political parties nominate candidates for Justice of the Supreme Court.  However, the general election ballot does not show party labels for candidates for that office.  In 2010, there are two seats up.  Weaver, even though elected as a Republican, has been at odds with the other Republican Justices, and when the Court had to choose a new Chief Justice from among its ranks, Weaver voted for a Democrat to be Chief Justice.

Republicans are expected to nominate someone else for the Weaver seat.  It remains to be seen if the Democratic Party state convention will nominate two Democratic candidates, or instead just nominate one Democrat and leave one slot open, thus giving tacit support to Weaver.  Thanks to Nicholas Madaj for the link.  Weaver does not need a petition to get on the ballot, because she is an incumbent.

On June 28, California SB 1203 was placed on the inactive file in the Assembly.  This probably means the bill is dead.  The bill required petition circulators to wear badges, saying whether they are paid or not, and also saying what county the circulator is registered in.  If the circulator was not a registered voter, the badge would give that information also.

The June 29 issue of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has this op-ed by Chris Valley, criticizing the Georgia ballot access laws for statewide independents.  The op-ed does not mention that the law for independent candidates for district and county office is even worse.  Valley supports Brad Bryant, the independent candidate for State School Superintendent.