On March 25, the Alaska Senate passed SB 161 unanimously. It eases the definition of a qualified party from a group with registration of 3% of the last vote cast to exactly 5,000 registered members. Now it goes to the House.
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On March 25, a state trial court in Maryland issued an opinion in Szeliga v Lamone, Anne Arundel Circuit Court, C-02-cv-21-1816. This is the case that argues that the U.S. House district boundaries constitute an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander. The 94-page ruling invalidates the districts, and finds that the Maryland State Constitution prohibits partisan gerrymanders. Here is the opinion. Thanks to Bob Johnston for the link.
The primaries are July 19.
On March 25, each house of the Mississippi legislature chose three members for a conference committee for HC 39, the bill to restore the initiative process. The bill has passed in both houses, but the bill was amended in the Senate, and the House rejected the Senate amendments. Thus the conference committee is needed to settle the details in a manner that both houses will accept.
The Indiana legislature adjourned on March 9. The 2022 session only passed two election law bills. SB 134 prohibits local election officials from accepting donations from private sources to help administer elections. HB 1116 alters technical details concerning electronic poll books.
For the sixth session in a row, the ballot access improvement bill failed to pass. HB 1185 would have reduced the number of signatures for independent candidates and the nominees of unqualified parties. No statewide independent or minor party petition has succeeded in Indiana since 2000.
The California Assembly Elections Committee will hear AB 2808 on Wednesday, April 6, at 9 a.m. That is the bill to ban charter cities and charter counties from using ranked choice voting.