Arkansas HB 1246, which expands the petitioning period for new parties from any 60 days of the group’s choice to any 90 days, passed the Senate State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee on February 12. It had already passed the House.

The other Arkansas ballot access bill has been delayed somewhat because it needed to be redrafted. It changes the defininition of “party” from a group that got 3% for the office at the top of the ticket (President or Governor, depending on which election) to a group that got 3% for any statewide race at either of the last two elections.