On September 3, Louisiana’s Governor issued an executive order, postponing Louisiana’s congressional primary, which had been set for September 6 (Saturday). See this story. A new date has not yet been set.
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On September 3, the 7th circuit expedited the ballot access case Stevo v Keith, 08-3218. The plaintiffs’ brief is due September 5; the state’s brief is due September 12; the rebuttal brief is due September 15. The case challenges the number of signatures needed for an independent or unqualified party candidate for U.S. House. The U.S. District Court had upheld the law on August 27.
The Florida ballot will list thirteen presidential candidates, the most ever in Florida history. The previous high had been in 2000, when there had been ten. In 2004 there had been eight.
The thirteen include the six presidential candidates who are on the ballot in states containing a majority of the electoral votes. In addition, there are three socialists (James Harris of the Socialist Workers Party, Gloria La Riva of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and Brian Moore of the Socialist Party).
Also on are the Prohibition Party and Alan Keyes’ America’s Independent Party. Finally there are two parties organized by dissident Libertarians, the Boston Tea Party, and the Objectivist Party. Their nominees are Charles Jay and Tom Stevens.
On September 3, New Hampshire Libertarians turned in enough signatures to place Bob Barr, and also to place Susan Newell (the party’s gubernatorial candidate), on the ballot. In New Hampshire, and also Massachusetts and Maine, petitions are submitted to town clerks. Then, town clerks validate the signatures. Then, the petitioning candidate or group must physically collect them and deliver them to the Secretary of State. Enough validated signatures were turned in to the Secretary of State.
Congressional Quarterly Politics has this article, based on an interview with Bob Barr that includes Barr’s comments about Sarah Palin.