On May 12, New York Governor David Paterson called a special election to fill the vacancy in the U.S. House, district 29. However, it won’t be until November 2, 2010. The winner will get a two month term in November and December 2010. For much of that time, Congress won’t even be in session.

It is not clear if the people who recently filed a lawsuit to force a special election will be satisfied with the Governor’s decision. The seat has been vacant since March 2010, when incumbent Eric Massa resigned.

The Missouri legislature adjourns for the year later today. No interesting election law bills will have passed this year.

The bills to eliminate the typographical error in the 1993 ballot access reform bill, SB 796 and HB 2210, failed to make any headway. As a result, Missouri petitions to recognize a new ballot-qualified party continue to require the names of presidential candidates, and presidential elector candidates, if the group intends to run anyone for President. Otherwise, the petition to create a new party does not require the names of candidates.

Restrictive bills also failed to pass, including a bill to require voters at the polls to show government photo-ID, and a bill to double the number of signatures for an initiative, and a bill to ban paying circulators on a per-signature basis, and a bill to require petitioners to live in Missouri.

Former Republican congressman Joe Schwarz says he will meet with his advisors on Friday, May 14, to make a decision as to whether to run for Governor of Michigan as an independent. See this story.

If he decides to do so, he needs 30,000 valid signatures by July 15. Michigan has never had an independent candidate for Governor on the ballot. Michigan did not have statutory procedures for independent candidates until 1988.