Washington Bill Advances, Would Save Elections for Party Precinct Officers

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On January 26, the Washington State House Committee on Government Operations passed HB 1860 by a vote of 10-1. It amends the law on how voters choose major party political committee members. The existing law was declared unconstitutional last year because it allows the entire electorate to help choose party officers.

The bill provides that the primary ballot used for choosing party officers must include a check-box, asking the voter to check his or her party. If the voter chooses the Democratic box, for example, then the voter may proceed to vote for members of the Democratic Party’s precinct committee. The voter’s choice of a party via this checkbox is secret.

New Mexico Bill to Authorize Straight-Party Device on Ballots

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New Mexico State Senator Michael Sanchez (D-Belen) has introduced SB 218, which says that general election ballots should include straight-ticket devices. New Mexico policy for many decades has been to include straight-ticket devices on general election ballots, yet oddly there is nothing in the election code authorizing them.

In the last two general elections, the Secretary of State put straight-ticket devices on the ballot only for the Democratic and Republican Parties, even though other parties were on the ballot. Minor parties were on the ballot in all parts of the state in 2008, but only in various parts of the state in 2010. Thanks to Rick Lass for this news.

Some Texas Non-Partisan Associations of Elected Officials Advocate a June Primary

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According to this story, the Texas Association of Counties, and also the Association of Texas County Judges & Commissioners, as well as some other groups, now recommend a June primary date for Texas. A June primary date would force the state to completely revamp its procedures for minor party and independent candidate petition deadlines. The election code says the independent presidential petition is due on May 14 (regardless of the primary date), but no one can circulate such a petition until after the primary.

Americans Elect Submits Wyoming Petition

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On February 2, Americans Elect submitted its Wyoming petition. It needed 3,740 signatures and submitted more than 8,000, according to this news story. The reason Americans Elect submitted so many is that Wyoming takes the position that registered voters who didn’t vote in November 2010 are not eligible to sign, because Wyoming thinks of these people as “inactive”.

Most states would not be permitted to take that position, because of federal legislation passed in 1993 that forbides states to purge voters unless they have missed two congressional elections in a row. However, the federal law exempts states that have election-day registration, and Wyoming has election-day registration. The Country Party petition in Wyoming was rejected last year, because of Wyoming’s policy on voters who didn’t vote in 2010. However, the Country Party is being allowed to submit more signatures. Thanks to Mike Fellows for the link.

Opening Brief Filed in 9th Circuit in Lawsuit that Challenges Two Aspects of California’s Top-Two Law

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On February 2, Michael Chamness filed his opening brief in Chamness v Bowen in the 9th circuit. This is the case that challenges two particular aspects of California’s system that are not present in Washington state’s top-two system: (1) some candidates may choose a party label and others may not; (2) write-in space is printed on ballots but write-ins can’t be counted, in November elections for Congress and state office.

The legislature recently enacted a bill, AB 1413, to eliminate write-in space form the ballot, but that bill has not yet been signed.