This newspaper story says that because Democratic Party registration in South Dakota is sinking, and is down to only 26%, it is getting more difficult for Democratic candidates to get on their own party’s primary ballot. In South Dakota, candidates running in primaries need a petition of 1% of the party’s registered voters.
Smaller qualified parties don’t have the same problem, because they are allowed to nominate for all office by convention.
On April 6, the Missouri House passed HJR 131, the proposed constitutional amendment that would preserve the ability of parties to nominate candidates for partisan office. If the legislature passes it, it will be on the November 2022 ballot. It is likely that there will be a top-four initiative on the same ballot. If both are on the ballot, the one that gets the most votes would prevail over the other one, because they contradict each other. Thanks to Ken Bush for this news.
This article explains the complicated Ohio redistricting situation. It appears the May 3 primary will include U.S. House races, along with the statewide and local government primaries. But there will be a separate, later primary for legislative seats.
On April 6, a Montana state trial court enjoined three new laws that increase the difficulty of voting. Montana Democratic Party v Jacobsen, Yellowstone County, 13th jud. dist., DV21-0451. Here is the opinion. The ruling blocks the repeal of election-day registration. It also blocks a law that restricts the forms of voter ID; and it also blocks a law making it illegal for anyone who delivers voted absentee ballots to be paid. The co-plaintiffs include several organizations that represent Native Americans.
On April 6, the California Assembly Elections Committee heard AB 2808, the bill to prohibit charter cities and counties from using ranked choice voting. In California, committees vote on bills immediately after the testimony. There was a great deal of testimony against the bill. Afterwards, no member of the committee moved that the bill pass, which wasn’t surprising, because all but one member of the committee criticized the bill. Technically the bill isn’t defeated (because no vote was taken) but it seems obvious the bill is dead.
