The Supreme Court entered an opinion in the interim map appeal this morning, sending the case back to the San Antonio court for further proceedings.

The opinion is available here. The opinion was issued per curium (i.e. it was unanimous and issued on behalf of the court without a stated author).

The court held that the state’s maps should have been used as the starting point for interim maps but that the San Antonio court could adjust those maps if it found a likelihood of section 2 or other violations as a result of the case tried before it or if the court found a “reasonable probability” of section 5 violations.

Justice Thomas concurred with the result but said that he would have directed use of the state’s maps on an interim basis since his view is that section 5of the Voting Rights Act is unconstitutional.

In addition, we will close Friday, December 30th and Monday, January 2nd in observance of the New Year Holiday.

January 15, 2012 – State, county & local candidates must submit finance report for period July 1 – December 31, 2011.

January 27, 2012 – Last day a vacancy can occur and be included on the April 3 primary ballot.

January 31, 2012 – Deadline for county commissions to make any changes needed to precinct boundaries. Also deadline for federal candidates to file their Q4 2011 campaign finance reports.

Late January 2012 – Candidate filing period reopens after legislative and congressional maps are finalized. Candidates may file for any federal, state, county, or local office during this time, switch races, or withdraw earlier applications.

February 1, 2012 – New residency deadline for candidates seeking election to the Texas House and Texas Senate. (There is no residency requirement for Congress).

February 1, 2012 @ 6:00 p.m. – End of filing period for all federal, state, county, or local offices. Also the deadline by which to file for a vacancy in an unexpired term occurring before January 27.

February 2, 2012 – If a candidate withdraws, dies, or is declared ineligible by this date, his or her name will be omitted from the April 3 primary ballot.

February 3, 2012 – New deadline for Democratic and Republican county executive committees to conduct drawing for candidate order on ballot.

February 11, 2012 – First day a voter may submit an application for a vote-by-mail ballot.

February 13, 2012 – Date by which each county must issue new voter registration certificates to voters.

March 4, 2012 – Deadline for opposed state, county, and local candidates to file their ‘30-day before election’ financial reports (covering contributions and expenses through February 23).

March 5, 2012 – Deadline to register to vote or to file a change of address if intending to vote in the April 3 primary.

March 12, 2012 – Deadline for candidates for state office to file personal financial statements.

March 19 – March 30, 2012 – In-person early voting for the primary.

March 22, 2012 – Deadline for congressional candidates to file their pre-primary reports (covering contributions and expenses through March 14).

March 26, 2012 – Deadline for opposed state, county, and local candidates to file their ‘8-day before election’ reports (covering contributions and expenses through March 24).

April 3, 2012 – Primary day.

April 3-8, 2012 – Precinct conventions as set by each county party.

April 6, 2012 – First day a voter may submit a mail ballot application for the primary runoff.

April 10, 2012 @ 5:00 p.m. – Deadline for a candidate to withdraw from the runoff ballot.

April 11, 2012 – Deadline for Democratic and Republican county parties to canvass election returns.

April 12, 2012 @ noon – Deadline for county parties to submit canvassed returns their respective state party.

April 14, 2012 @ 5:00 p.m. – Deadline for each state party to canvass returns.

April 14 or April 21, 2012 – Date of county and senate district conventions, as determined by the state chair of each political party.

April 15, 2012 – Deadline for federal candidates to file their Q1 2012 campaign finance reports.

April 16, 2012 @ 9:00 a.m.- Deadline for county parties to conduct ballot order draw for the primary runoff.

May 6, 2012 – Deadline for runoff candidates to file their ‘30-day before election’ reports (covering contributions and expenses through April 26).

May 7, 2012 – Deadline for new voter registrations or for a voter to change his or her address in order to be effective for the primary runoff.

May 22 – June 1, 2012 – In-person early voting for the primary runoff.

May 24, 2012 – Deadline for congressional candidates to file their pre-primary runoff reports (covering contributions and expenses through May 16).

May 28, 2012 – Deadline for runoff candidates to file their ‘8-day before election’ reports (covering contributions and expenses through May 26).

June 5, 2012 – Primary runoff.

June 8-10, 2012 – Republican state convention in Fort Worth.

June 9-10, 2012 -Democratic state convention in Houston.

June 25, 2012 – New Democratic and Republican precinct chairs take office.

Texas Senate

SD 16 – John Carona

Texas House of Representatives

HD 102 Stefani Carter
HD 105 Linda Harper Brown
HD 107 Jonathan Boos
HD 108 Dan Branch
HD 112 Angie Chen Button
HD 113 Cindy Burkett
HD 114 Kenneth Sheets
HD 114 David Boone
HD 114 Jason Villalba
HD 115 Bennett Ratliff
HD 115 Steve Nguyen
HD 115 Matt Rinaldi
HD 115 Andy Olivo

County

Tax Assessor – Andrew Marcontell
County Commissioner District 1 – Cecile Fernandez
County Commissioner District 1 – Larry Miller
County Commissioner District 3 – Charles Lingerfelt
162nd Judicial Civil District Court – Mike Lee
Criminal District Court No. 2 – Lisa DeWitt
Criminal District Court No. 4 – Tom Nowak

5th District Court of Appeals

Chief Justice Carolyn Wright
Place 2 Jennifer Balido
Place 2 David Evans
Place 2 Kevin Keith
Place 2 Bill Whitehill
Place 5 Jim Moseley
Place 9 Justice Martin Richter
Place 9 David Lewis
Place 10 Justice Molly Francis
Place 11 Justice Douglas Lang
Place 12 Justice Bob Fillmore
Place 13 Justice Elizabeth Lang-Miers

United States Congress

CD 30 – Travis Washington, Jr.
CD 32 – Pete Sessions

Precinct Chairs

Per the signed order – the new date of the 2012 General Primary Election is set as Tuesday, April 3, 2012.

Please note – the current filing deadline to submit an application for the primary ballot will end on Monday, December 19, 2011 at 6:00pm. The court order provides for a reopened filing period which will begin at a date to be determined. We will keep you informed of any further announcements or developments regarding federal court action which affects these rulings.

A copy of the signed order can be found here.

Inside Texas Politics (12/11/11) from Dallas County Republican Party on Vimeo.

The uncertainty of redistricting. Worries about primary turnout. The challenge of winning more legislative seats. These are all concerns of our guests — the chairs of the Dallas County Republican Party and the Tarrant County Democratic Party.

We will continue accepting applications for other offices, including precinct chair. Applicants for precinct chair are also advised that if a future map requires a modification of those the precincts, you may have to correct your application.

All filers are advised that if the primary is moved, absent a court order mandating return of filing fees, the Republican Party of Texas, the Dallas County Republican Party and all other county parties are prohibited from refunding their filing fee.

An interim plan will not be ready for the March primary for those offices. It is possible that a primary will be rescheduled for a later date for those offices only or the entire primary. It is expected that the San Antonio three judge panel will issue a supplemental order regarding the 2012 primary elections soon.

by BRETT SHIPP
WFAA
Posted on September 7, 2011 at 6:07 PM
Updated today at 7:17 PM

DALLAS — Tempers flared at the Dallas County Election Commission Wednesday afternoon.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins and Republican Party Chairman Wade Emmert clashed over the attempt to offer a permanent job to the interim Dallas County Elections Administrator.

This conflict began brewing last January after long-time and well-respected County Elections Administrator Bruce Sherbet was forced from office.

Sherbet said he was pressured to resign by Commissioner John Wiley Price.

For the past eight months, the Dallas County Elections Department has been run by Toni Pippins-Poole, whom Republicans have criticized as being a political ally of Commissioner Price.

On Wednesday, at a meeting of the County Election Commission, Judge Jenkins was prepared to forgo the formal interview process of four other candidates and award the permanent position to Pippins-Poole.

Things became heated when fellow Commission member and Republican County Chairman Wade Emmert objected.

In somewhat of a surprise move, three other Democrats on the Commission sided with Emmert and voted to delay the process and conduct formal interviews with all the candidates.

The Election Commission later voted to formally interview all five candidates and make a decision on a permanent replacement for Bruce Sherbet next week.

Judge Jenkins reluctantly agreed.

E-mail bshipp@wfaa.com