On May 2, the Alabama House Constitution, Campaigns & Elections Committee held a hearing on SB 15, the bill that eases the number of signatures for independent candidates (for office other than President) and newly-qualifying parties. The bill also moves the petition deadline for newly-qualifying parties from March to May.

The Alabama Secetary of State’s office sent a representative to oppose the part of the bill that moves the petition deadline for newly-qualifying parties from March to May. Also, the Probate Judges Association sent a representative to oppose the part of the bill that cuts the number of signatures for independent candidates. Probate Judges are elected in Alabama on a partisan basis, and presumably all of them are major party members, and they dislike increased competition. However, the bill does not lower the number of signatures for independent candidates for county office, just federal and state office.

The Committee sent the bill to a Subcommittee on Campaigns and Elections, headed by Representative Paul DeMarco. His staff is researching how Alabama ballot access laws compare with the laws of other states. For Presidential elections, for procedures that allow a party label, Alabama requires more signatures than any other state except California, Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas. The requirement in Alabama is 44,829 this year, if a party label is to be allowed. It is possible the North Carolina legislature will lower the requirement this month.