Florida Moves Primary To January 29

Early vote violates party rules, could lead to exclusion of major candidates

(NEWSER) - Florida, home of the hanging chad and the butterfly ballot, is causing election-related panic once again, reports The LA Times. Florida Republicans pushed the state's primaries up to January 29, a week earlier than recently changed Democratic rules allow. If the rules aren't amended, delegates for major candidates may actually be barred from the convention. More»

SC to jump to January, pushing primary schedule as early as December

(NEWSER) - South Carolina's Republican Party is about to shift its primary to January 19, triggering a chain reaction of primary rescheduling that is infuriating candidates and campaign managers, the Washington Post reports. The New Hampshire primary will likely be rescheduled for early January and the Iowa caucuses as early as December. Other states, seeking to make their primaries more important, are also still angling for early dates. More»

Perry and KBH face off; Tea Party mounts challenge in Fla.

(NEWSER) - The 2010 primaries will see the GOP repairing its identity and soul-searching among Democrats. The 10 most important races, according to Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post :

1. Texas governor, R: Rick Perry is running for an unprecedented third term, and voters seem to approve. But Kay Bailey Hutchison is a popular, crafty, and well-funded opponent.
2. Florida Senate, R: The looming battle between Gov. Charlie Crist and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio is being closely watched as a bellwether of the rift between GOP moderates and the insurgent Tea Party movement.

Sample sizes and enthusiasm gaps can skew results

(NEWSER) - Exit polls can be addictive for those who can't take Election Day suspense, but poll analyst Nate Silver recommends you resist the temptation. Here's why:

1. Exit polls have high margins of error because they are taken at only a few precincts in a state.
2. Exit polls overstated Democratic support in the 2000 and 2004 elections.
3. Exit polls overstated Obama’s support by an average of 7 points in the primary season.

Uncertainty ahead for pros and amateurs, participants and observers.

(NEWSER) - After two years of high drama, the curtain is about to fall. Letdown, writes Steven Winn in the San Francisco Chronicle, may be inevitable. Tomorrow will usher in a lull like those that sandwiched between seasons of the Sopranos, says one professor: “This has been the greatest series on television. And now it's stopped.” But even when viewers leave and Tina Fey returns to her day job, the show still goes on. There are laws to pass, and a 2010 election to gear up for. More»