On February 8, the New Mexico Senate Rules Committee tabled SB 100. It would have permitted two parties to jointly nominate the same candidate. Thanks to Rick Lass for this news.
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On February 4, the Arkansas House unanimously passed HB 1338, which increases the number of signatures for independent presidential candidates from 1,000 to 5,000 signatures. The bill also increases the bill for presidential status for unqualified parties from 1,000 to 5,000. The bill now goes to the State Senate.
This story by election expert Jerry Goldfeder says there is an organized effort by some Republican leaders in New York city to encourage registered Republicans to become registered Democrats, so they can vote in this year’s Democratic primary for Mayor. That primary is hotly contested.
Bills have been introduced in each house of the New York legislature to cut the number of signatures for district office, for the 2021 general election only. They are A4686 and S4380. They lower the number of signatures for independent candidates, for 2021 only, for district office. US House drops from 3,500 to 1,750; State Senate from 3,000 to 1,500; and Assembly from 1,500 to 750. It is odd that the bills do not lower the number of signatures for statewide office, which is 45,000 as a result of the 2020 bill that tripled statewide independent petitions.
The sponsors are Assembly member Kenny Burgos (D-Bronx) and Senator John Mannion (D-Syracuse). Thanks to Joe Burns for this news.
Another bill, A4447, would eliminate primary write-ins for 2021 only. It is by Assembly member Emily Gallagher (D-Brooklyn).
This Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper story briefly describes the many lawsuits that are still pending in both federal and state courts over whether the vote-counting process across the nation last November was fundamentally accurate. The story emphasizes Georgia lawsuits, but includes similar lawsuits pending in other states.