On August 8, a lower state court judge in West Virginia upheld the state’s early May petition deadline (for all minor party and independent candidates other than presidential candidates). McClure v Manchin, 04-c-2197, Kanawha Co. Circuit Court. The case will now be appealed to the State Supreme Court. The lower court judge said the state needs the time to check the signatures. This is not a rational statement, since the state manages presidential candidate petitions with no trouble, even though the presidential petition deadline is August 1.