The Idaho Republican Party Central Committee meets June 2 in Burley, Idaho. On the agenda is a proposal to pass a party bylaw, saying only members of the party may vote in its primary. If this bylaw proposal passes, the party would then bring a lawsuit to enforce it.
Congressman Rush Holt (D-NJ) expects a US House of Representatives vote on HR 811 soon after Congress re-convenes on Tuesday, June 5. HR 811 outlaws vote-counting machines that don’t leave a paper trail.
On May 25, North Dakota Secretary of State Al Jaeger announced that he is setting the dates of all party presidential caucuses on February 5. Even though the parties pay for their own caucuses, state law gives the Secretary of State authority to set the dates for their caucuses. Qualified parties in North Dakota are the Republican, Democratic, Libertarian and Constitution Parties.
In 2004, the North Dakota caucuses were also in February, but somewhat later in February.
The Alaska Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) has just started circulating an initiative, for public funding for candidates for state office. The initiative does not discriminate for or against any candidate based on party affiliation. The text of the initiative can be seen here. The non-discriminatory aspect of the Alaska initiative matches the non-discriminatory characteristic of the existing “Clean Elections” laws in Maine and Arizona, but is in contrast to Connecticut’s law.
Last week, the Alaska Democratic Party decided to hold its presidential caucuses in 2008 on February 5. A few days later, the Alaska Republican Party also chose February 5. The parties announced this news on May 30. The local caucuses on February 5 will select delegates to a state convention. The state conventions of each major party will then choose the national delegates. The Democratic state convention will be May 23-25 and the Republican state convention will be March 13-15.
In the past, Alaska Republicans have held their local presidential caucuses in May, and Alaska Democrats have held theirs in March.
