Michigan Court Clears Up Primary Dates

The Michigan Supreme Court helped solidify the final primary date for Michigan — Jan. 15 — by overturning conflicting lower court rulings.

The Detroit News reported Thursday that with a 4-3 vote, state Supreme Court justices overturned a series of lower court rulings regarding access to the election’s voter lists that had threatened to cancel the state’s Jan. 15 primary.

By paving the way for that scheduled date to remain in place, the Michigan Supreme Court gave the green light to New Hampshire officials to set their state’s primary date.

With Jan. 8 as the date for the New Hampshire primary, the 2008 campaign calendar appears to have finally cleared up.

Yet by overturning the previous rulings and finalizing the Jan. 15 date, the Michigan Supreme Court has left little time for election officials to prepare for the electoral event.

The Detroit News said that all absentee ballots and other election materials must be prepared within the next 55 days to be adequately prepared for the state’s primary.