On July 27, the Institute for Governmental Studies at Berkeley released this poll of the September 14, 2021 California gubernatorial recall election.

The bottom half of the poll includes the replacement candidates. Because so many voters are undecided, the poll asked whether the voter is considering voting for particular candidates. Larry Elder is being considered by 34%, more than any other candidate. Jeff Hewitt, the sole Libertarian, is being considered by 12%.

The poll also did ask which candidate the respondents favor, and Larry Elder is leading there also, with 18%.

Most voters do not favor recalling Gavin Newsom, but among voters most likely to vote, the anti-recall vote is only 3% above the pro-recall vote.

New Hampshire HB 98 was sent to Governor Chris Sununu on Monday, July 26. He has five days to act on the bill. It moves the non-presidential primary from September to August. Unfortunately it also moves the petition deadline for independent candidates, and the nominees of unqualified parties, from August to July. And it moves the deadline for such candidates to file a declaration of candidacy from June to May. That even includes presidential candidates, so if the bill is signed, minor parties will be forced to choose their presidential nominees by May of election years if they want to be on the New Hampshire ballot.

A group of Colorado Republican activists are working to persuade the state party to end primaries for the party for 2022, and instead nominate by caucus and convention. In order for the proposal to be adopted by the party, three-fourths of the members of the state governing body must agree.

Major parties in Colorado have the right to make this change, as a result of the initiative that passed a few years ago that said if a party uses primaries, it must let independent voters participate in those primaries.