Hawaii HB 2397, which moves the primary from September to August, has a hearing in the Senate Judiciary and Government Operations Committee on Friday, March 12, at 9:30 a.m. The bill also moves the deadline for a new party to submit its petition from April to February. The bill doesn’t change the law that says such a petition is due 150 days before the primary. But, when the primary moves, the deadline automatically also moves.
Very early petition deadlines for new parties are unconstitutional. No published opinion has ever upheld a deadline for a new party petition, or other procedure to get a new party on the ballot, if that deadline was earlier than May. It would be desirable if HB 2397 were amended to decrease the 150-day requirement. Hawaii certainly doesn’t need 5 months to check a petition of fewer than 1,000 signatures.
Separate is NOT equal.
Each election is NEW and has ZERO to do with any prior election.
Presumably it was the intent of Congress in requiring overseas absentee ballots to be sent out early, that the entire election schedule be shifted earlier.
The federal government should provide a mechanism so that overseas voters may vote in person, instead of relying on postal mail.
It should be feasible to electronically route ballots from the SOS via the State Department and Department of Defense to embassies and consulate and military bases and facilities, and then return the completed ballots by diplomatic mail.