New Hampshire: Supreme Court delays effect of ballot-order ruling
The Concord Monitor reports: The Sept. 12 primary can be held as scheduled, the state Supreme Court ruled yesterday. At the request of the state, the justices issued an order clarifying their recent decision that the state's ballot order was unconstitutional.
The judges delayed enforcement of their ruling until after the primary but said the state must come up with a new ballot for the Nov. 7 general election. That ruling pleased both parties in the lawsuit: the secretary of state and politicians who sued the state. But top Republican lawmakers said it represented only a modest improvement, warning that they may convene a rare special session to settle the matter.
"I think we're going to have to come back," Senate Majority Leader Bob Clegg said. The Hudson Republican said the court issued a flawed decision that could harm voters in its attempt to make the ballot fairer for candidates. ...
The lawsuit that triggered this dispute accused the state of giving an unconstitutional advantage to certain candidates by putting the majority party first - a law that has given Republicans the top spots on the ballot for 40 years - and by listing candidates in alphabetical order within party lists. The Supreme Court struck down both laws.
State officials have conceded the party matter. The debate right now is over alphabetizing. -- Concord Monitor Online Article - Justices give go-ahead to Sept. 12 vote - Your News Source - 03301