On July 21, the California Secretary of State recognized the American Independent Party state convention that was held in Sacramento, instead of the one that had been held a week earlier in Los Angeles. The Secretary of State’s Chief Counsel, Pam Giarrizzo, said that the Secretary of State made the decision based on the fact that Ed Noonan is listed in the records as the state chair. She said the office has no knowledge of who was at either convention, and of which convention had the larger attendance of state central committee members. She had no memory of how former Secretary of State March Fong Eu handled a somewhat similar situation differently, in 1988, for the Peace & Freedom Party. She said she might or might not look into the 1988 records, but said also that the decision is final.

Since the convention chaired by Ed Noonan chose presidential electors pledged to Alan Keyes, he will be the American Independent Party presidential nominee unless the other faction is able to sue successfully.

On July 21, the Socialist Party USA filed a complaint in U.S. District Court in Ohio, seeking to be recognized as a qualified party. The party’s presidential candidate already had a lawsuit pending against Ohio on the question of whether an independent petition may be circulated by out-of-state voters. That case is Moore v Brunner, 2:08-cv-224. The Socialist Party did not file a new case, but amended the original Moore complaint. It seems likely this latest aspect of the case will be before Judge Sargus, the same judge who ruled that Ohio must recognize the Libertarian Party of Ohio. Briefs are due August 1. There is no assurance that the judge will let the original Moore complaint be amended.

Barack Obama, like all Democratic presidential candidates in recent years, is happy to accept the Working Families Party nomination in New York state, and to be listed on the New York ballot on two lines. However, his campaign has not secured the necessary paperwork to allow the same thing to happen in Connecticut. In Connecticut, the Working Families Party would be allowed to cross-endorse him, but only if it submits a petition signed by 7,500 valid names. That petition is due in little over two weeks. So although the Connecticut Working Families will almost certainly be on the ballot for all U.S. House races in the state (cross-endorsing each Democratic nominee for U.S. House), it is unlikely to be on for president.