On October 18, the New York State Court of Appeals agreed to hear Master v Pohanka. This case concerns a dispute between the state organization of the Working Families Party, and the Suffolk County Working Families Party. The issue is whether a state party may have a bylaw taking power over nominations away from the county party and placing it in the hands of the state party.

The Independence Party has a similar case pending in the State Court of Appeals, called Conroy v Independence Party of New York State. The State Court of Appeals hasn’t accepted that case yet, but in any event the decision in the Working Families Party will settle the issue for both parties.

The California Peace & Freedom presidential primary ballot will include Cynthia McKinney. She is also appearing on the California Green Party presidential primary. That makes two individuals who are running in two simultaneous presidential primaries in the same state; the other is Ralph Nader, also in those same two California parties. It is believed that McKinney and Nader are the first two individuals in history to have their names on the ballot for president in two political party presidential primaries (in the same state) simultaneously.

The final list of which candidates are appearing on each California party’s presidential primary will be set on November 7.

A state court in Michigan has set a hearing date of November 7, at 10 a.m., in Grebner v State. This is the lawsuit over whether the state may give the list of people who choose a Republican presidential primary ballot to the Republican Party, but otherwise keep the list a secret (and to do likewise for the Democrats). The case is in Ingham County Circuit Court, no. 07-1507-cz.

Meanwhile, a bill to cancel the Michigan 2008 presidential primary is pending in the House Oversight and Investigation Committee, but no hearing has been scheduled. That bill is HB 5353.