On February 26, the Missouri House Elections & Elected Officials Committee passed HB 1639. It changes Missouri from an open primary to a closed primary.
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On February 25, the Virginia Senate Privileges & Elections Committee voted to postpone consideration of HB 177 until 2021, the second year of the two-year legislative session. The bill had already passed the House. HB 177 is the National Popular Vote Plan bill.
The individuals who are challenging Seattle’s voucher system of public funding have filed this reply brief in the U.S. Supreme Court. Elster v City of Seattle, 19-608. The Washington State Supreme Court had upheld the system. It is funded by property taxes. It provides every voter with four campaign finance vouchers. The voter is free to send them to any candidate for city office, and then the candidate redeems the voucher for $25 to be used in his or her campaign. The individuals who filed the lawsuit argue that the system violates their First Amendment rights.
On February 11, the Alabama Senate Government Affairs Committee voted not to advance SB 70, the ballot access bill. It would have reduced the party petition from 3% of the last gubernatorial vote, to 1.5%. It would also have eased the petition deadline.
The New Mexico legislature adjourned on February 20. The 2020 session did not pass any election law bills.
Bills that failed to pass included a bill to make Secretary of State elections non-partisan; to allow independent voters to vote in party primaries; to move the presidential primary from June to January; and the omnibus election law bill making small changes. Usually those bills pass, but not this year.