In the first week in November, the Voting Rights Section of the U.S. Justice Department asked 18 states to prove that they are in compliance with the 1993 federal voter registration law. That law is commonly refered to as “Motor Voter.” It requires state and local government welfare offices and Department of Motor Vehicles offices to help register voters. The states are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah and Vermont.

Petitioning is more successful when a large proportion of adult citizens are registered to vote. It is believed that the above-named states have not been following the federal law, partly because federal enforcement has been lax during the last six years. If the Justice Department’s new interest in enforcing “Motor Voter” is successful in increasing the percentage of adult citizens who are registered voters, that will help minor party and independent candidate petitions, and it will also help initiatives.

See this commentary, on Lou Dobbs’ prediction that an independent candidate will be elected president in 2008. Lou Dobbs is a commentator on CNN. Thanks to Glenn Brown.

On November 8, the Michigan Senate passed HB 4507, to save the state’s presidential primary. Since it didn’t pass with a two-thirds margin, it cannot take effect in time for the 2008 primary season. Also the House seems uninterested in the bill. When the bill had passed the House, several months ago, it did not deal with the presidential primary. Since the Senate added presidential primary provisions to the bill, it must return to the House in order to pass.

The bill eliminates the existing provision that says if any part of the presidential primary bill is unconstitutional, then the entire primary falls. The bill would thus eliminate the problem with who may see the voter participant list (that provision was held unconstitutional on November 7). The bill also gives each party the right to decide which names appear on its own presidential primary ballot. No one could withdraw without swearing that he or she is not running for president. That would force individuals like John Edward and Barack Obama to be listed. Current law lets them withdraw from Michigan’s primary even if they are running in other states, and they have withdrawn.

Democrats control the House, and Michigan Democrats seem to be more interested in holding a caucus. UPDATE: the legislature has adjourned until Tuesday, November 13. Thanks to Thomas Jones for this.