On April 17, the Tennessee Senate Fiscal, Ways & Means Committee passed SR 37. It provides for a legislative study of ballot access for minor parties, and proposes that the committee, besides legislators, will include a representative of each of the Constitution, Green, and Libertarian Parties. The bill will probably pass the Senate on consent on April 18.
Every election is NEW.
Where is that Model Election Law for Dummies (in State legislatures) ???
What’s there to study here? Just pass a freaking reasonable petition signature requirement and be done with it. What’s a reasonable petition signature requirement? Look at the requirements from other states, particularly those that are close to Tennessee, and come up with a reasonable requirement based on that (taking population into account).
The Tennessee legislature, particularly the Republicans in the legislature, have been resisting ballot access reform for years. They should be ashamed of themselves.
We need to propose something like this here in New York! Scandals have erupted recently here with more to come and the proposals from all sides are bewildering. But none of these proposals include changes in the election machinery, like signature requirements or control over election boards. I’m gonna bring this idea to New York as one whose time has come!
Assuming the committee is created, I think the main thing that will be interesting to them is to learn about other states’ ballot access laws for minor parties.
It is really easy for independent candidates to qualify in Tennessee. Just let any candidate choose their party name, and put them all on a single primary ballot. Have a runoff if needed.