On June 29, the Delaware Senate Elections & State Affairs passed HB 89. It moves the non-presidential primary from September to April. It had already passed the House.
The version that passed the House does not move the deadline to qualify a new party. But there is a Senate amendment that would move the deadline to create a new party from August to March. Presumably the full Senate will decide which version of the bill to approve.
Delaware is in the Third Circuit, which ruled in a New Jersey case that an April deadline is too early for newly-qualifying parties. Council of Alternative Political Parties v Hooks.
It seems like so many states are moving their primaries earlier and earlier. What’s up?
http://www.1011now.com/content/news/Libertarian-Party-is-growing-431689273.html
You might want to make a post about this. Nebraska is the third state in which LP registration breaks 1% right?
Also, look at how much good is Laura Ebke doing to the NELP. Might be a model to follow.
Walt, Maybe they’re thinking it’ll stop third-parties? But most third-parties petition to the general election ballot not to the primary ballot, so it’s kind of irrelevant. Maybe they’re just proving themselves to be the incompetent morons they genuinely are?…
Some states set their deadline for third party paperwork/petitions based on the primary petition deadline for the major parties, in which case moving the primary deadline earlier also involves moving the third party deadline to be able to file paperwork/petitions earlier.
The devices of ballot censors are becoming more and more desperate and ludicrous.