Court Orders Shorter Filing Period for 2012 Texas Primary Election

SAN ANTONIO (AP) _ A federal court has ordered a new schedule for candidates to file for a place on the 2012 primary election ballot.

The order pushes back the start of the candidate filing period from Nov. 12 to Nov. 28. It ends Dec. 15.

The new schedule is to accommodate ongoing litigation over Texas’ new election district maps. Legislative and congressional maps drawn by the Legislature earlier this year can’t be implemented until they are cleared by a court in Washington.

With no resolution in sight, the San Antonio court _ overseeing a parallel case _ is putting guidelines in place so county election officials and would-be candidates can prepare for the March primary.

The San Antonio court is expected to order temporary maps before the filing period opens.

    
     (Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

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