If you live in a state with ballot access problems, now is the time to communicate with state legislators (or with candidates who are likely to be elected to state legislatures) and ask that they sponsor bills to improve the laws. Many states have strict deadlines for state legislators to introduce bills. In a few states, bills must be introduced before January 1, 2009.
Half the battle to get a bill enacted is finding a legislator to sponsor the bills. Many states sharply restrict the number of bills that any particular state legislator may introduce. Therefore, this is the time to talk to state legislators, before they have already committed themselves to using up their quota of bills.
Ballot access reform in some states can only be enacted during on odd year. This is particularly true for Texas, which only holds legislative sessions (other than special sessions, which have limited powers) in odd years. It is also true in West Virginia, where the legislature has a tradition of not dealing with election law changes in even years.
Richard, is it your experience that legislators will think about introducing bills in the middle of their campaigns for election or re-election? I have been thinking that it would be more productive to approach them after election day.
Most state legislators, like most members of Congress, don’t really need to worry about getting re-elected. Even in years of great discontent, typically 80% to 90% of them who are running for re-election, get re-elected.
And even if they are worried about getting re-elected, that means they are making themselves available to the public in their own district (to campaign), and they are eager to make their constituents happy with them. So this is a good time, before the election.
Richard;
If you can think of anything for Minnesota, I would be happy to make inquries for with my local legislators.
I think that we still have only two weeks to circulate an independent/minor party nominating petition.
I would be happy to make a plea for extending this time period, if you could maybe offer some suggestions (i.e. what’s a more reasonable amount of time).
Federally, I had little luck getting many answers from the MN US Senate candidates (all six of them) on electoral reform issues.
Also, the email for the Coalition for Free and Open Elections appears to be down.