On January 27, the North Dakota House Government & Veterans Affairs Committee heard testimony on HB 1417, the ballot access bill. It lowers the number of votes for a party to remain on the ballot from 5% to 2%, and deletes the requirement that a party attract between one-tenth and one-seventh of all the primary voters to choose its primary ballot, if it wants to nominate candidates for the legislature.

The hearing went well. Eric Olson testified on behalf of the Libertarian Party in favor of the bill, and no one testified against it. The committee members who expressed an opinion seemed favorably disposed toward the bill. The committee will vote next week.