There are Tennessee bills to improve ballot access pending in each house of the legislature. They cut the number of signatures for party recognition from 2.5% of the last gubernatorial vote, to one-half of 1% of the last gubernatorial vote.

HB 2067 had been scheduled for a House floor vote on March 14, but the day’s session didn’t get to the bill, so it will be brought up on the next day on which the House is in session. SB 2189 has a hearing in the Senate Local Government Committee on March 15, Tuesday. UPDATE: the House floor vote on HB 2067 will be Thursday, March 17.

On March 14, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Gettleman denied a request from the Illinois Green Party to intervene in Libertarian Party v Yarbrough, n.d., 1:22cv-578. This is the case over whether the Libertarian Party is entitled to a primary to choose nominees for Cook County Commissioner. The Libertarian Party won injunctive relief earlier this month.

The Greens had intervened, seeking to establish that they are entitled to elect Cook County township officers throughout the county because they are a qualified party in the Metropolitan Water District, which covers almost all of Cook County. But Judge Gettleman denied intervention for the Greens, because he said the issues are also different; also he said the Greens filed too late. Here is the four-page order.

Ordinarily, New Jersey requires 100 signatures for U.S. House, for independent candidates and the nominees of unqualified parties. However, in years after redistricting, the law says only 50 are needed. There are no filing fees in New Jersey.

The only other states with statutory lower requirements in years after redistricting, for U.S. House, are Illinois and Florida. In Illinois the requirement in years after redistricting is 5,000. In Florida the petition in lieu of filing fee is substantially lower than in normal years.