The Moderate Party, the only ballot-qualified party in Rhode Island other than the Democratic and Republican Parties, has announced that it has formed town committees in 17 of Rhode Island’s municipalities. Rhode Island only has 39 municipalities. The party says it is organizing additional committees in more places. The places in which the party already has committees are Barrington, Bristol, Burrillville, Coventry, Cranston, Cumberland, East Greenwich, Foster, Glocester, Jamestown, Lincoln, Narragansett, North Kingston, Providence, Scituate, Warwick, and West Warwick.

On August 27, the Green Party of Arkansas had filed a federal lawsuit, alleging that the vote test for a party to remain on the ballot is unduly limited. The law seems to require a party to poll 3% for president in order to remain on the ballot in a presidential election year. No matter how well it does in other statewide races, it is removed from the ballot without a good showing in the presidential race.

The state is asking that the case be dismissed before any evidence-gathering is conducted. The state filed its brief on October 12, and seems to argue that if the petition requirements to get a party back on the ballot are reasonable, any retention test is constitutional, no matter how difficult that test is. The Green Party’s brief had been filed on October 5.

On August 20, the Putnam County, Tennessee, County Commission, passed a resolution, asking the county’s Democratic and Republican Parties not to hold primaries for county office in 2010. See this story. The county is trying to save money. The last primary cost the taxpayers $60,000. Tennessee holds primaries for county office in midterm years in May. The statewide primary for Congress and state office is in August in midterm years.

If there were no primary for county offices, the candidates would all qualify as independent candidates, which only requires 25 signatures, but there would be no party labels on the ballot.