The hearing in New Hampshire Libertarian Party v Gardner, which had been scheduled for October 12, has been postponed until November 15. The issue is whether it is constitutional for the state to provide the state list of registered voters to a qualified party at a very low price, but refuse to sell it to an unqualified party for any amount of money. The case is pending in Merrimack County Superior Court, no. 2007-e-327. The reason for the postponement is that the court only has one judge and she is swamped with too many cases.

The Ontario provincial election of October 10 featured a ballot question, asking voters if they wish to switch to proportional representation. It only got 37%. It needed 60% in order to win. The previous post saying it got 54% was erroneous.

In the Ontario provincial elections, the Liberal Party won 70 seats, the Conservative Party 26 seats, and the New Democrats won 11 seats. The Green Party didn’t win any, even though it polled 8% of the popular vote. The strongest Green candidate, Shane Jolley, polled 34% and came in second, in the district named Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound.

Oregon supporters of the “top-two” primary system are circulating an initiative petition to put that idea before Oregon voters in November 2008. Meanwhile, the State Supreme Court is receiving briefs, arguing over what the ballot title ought to be. Supporters of the initiative are suing the Attorney General because his ballot title refuses to refer to the initiative as an “open primary.” Opponents of the initiative are counter-suing because the Attorney General’s Ballot Title doesn’t mention that the initiative would restrict the November ballot to just two candidates. The case is Keisling v Myers, S055161.