On July 17, Georgia held a special run-off congressional election to fill the vacancy in the 10th district. Because Georgia uses the “top-two” system for special elections, and because two Republicans placed first and second last month in the first round, the July 17 run-off was between two Republicans, Jim Whitehead and Paul Broun.

With 99% of the vote counted, Broun has 23,314 votes and Whitehead has 23,120. There will be a recount. The turnout was very low; in November 2006 the vote had been Charlie Norwood (Republican) 117,721; Terry Holley (Democratic) 57,032.

Although both Whitehead and Broun are Republicans, Broun had campaigned to get Democratic and independent votes, saying that since virtually all leaders of the Republican Party supported Whitehead, that Whitehead would be a rubber stamp. Also Broun’s father had been a Democratic State Senator.

Utah is one of 13 states in which the state income tax lists political parties, and asks taxpayers if they wish some small amount of money to be sent to any particular party. Utah taxpayers are typically sympathetic to minor parties when they fill out their income tax forms. Last year, 10.5% of the money went to one of the 4 qualified minor parties that were listed.

Tax forms for 2007 will list only the Democratic, Republican and Constitution Parties. This is because none of the other parties that were listed in the past polled enough votes to remain on (in the November 2006 election), and furthermore none of them re-qualified in time to be on next year’s forms. The Libertarian Party had been trying to collect the needed 2,000 valid signatures before July 1, and is 80% done, but did not finish in time (there is still plenty of time for the Libertarian Party, and for other parties, to qualify for the 2008 ballot).

If all the money that went to the various minor parties in 2006 goes to the Constitution Party on this year’s tax forms (which are due next April), the Constitution Party will receive more than $13,000.

On July 17, U.S. District Court Judge W. Allen Pepper denied the Mississippi Democratic Party request for reconsideration on whether voter ID must be shown at the polls in future Democratic primaries. In June 2007 that judge had ruled in favor of the Mississippi Democratic Party on the issue of whether the party could exclude non-members from voting in its primary. However, the June ruling had surprised the Democratic Party by adding that when Democrats hold a closed primary in the future, they must require voter ID at the polls. The Democratic Party had asked for reconsideration on voter ID. But the judge has now denied reconsideration.

Judge Pepper said, “Some form of voter ID must be required in Mississippi’s future primary system, the form of which must be just as accurate as that required for other daily functions of American life, if not more so given the solemnity of exercising the constitutional right to vote.”

It is likely that the state of Mississippi will appeal Judge Pepper’s ruling requiring a closed primary for the Democratic Party, and it is also likely that the Mississippi Democratic Party will appeal that part of his ruling that says the party must require voter ID at the polls at its primary. Thanks to Steve Rankin for this news.