Many states badly need ballot access improvements. Many state legislatures have extremely early deadlines for new bills to be introduced. For example, Indiana legislators who wish to introduce bills in the 2013 session of the legislature must introduce them no later than December 2012. Also most states limit the number of bills that any one legislator may introduce, and so many legislators are already planning which bills they will introduce next year. It is common for constituents to ask for a bill early in an odd year, and be told, “Sorry, I already committed to other bills, and I can’t introduce a bill on your subject.”

Also, October is a time when most state legislators are running for re-election, so they tend to be out and about on the campaign trail, and are receptive to requests from constituents.

In certain states, ballot access laws have been held unconstitutional and it should be especially easy to find sponsors, because the legislature has an obligation to write new laws to replace the old void ones. This is true right now in California, Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Vermont. Also the South Carolina legislature will surely be ready to amend the ballot access laws, given the large number of Republicans and Democrats who were kept off primary and general election ballots this year due to unclear laws.