Alabama Political Reporter Carries Column Explaining How Bad Alabama’s Ballot Access Laws Are

Laura Lane, chair of the Alabama Libertarian Party, has this opinion piece in Alabama Political Reporter, a well-read on-line news source. It details not only how severe the laws are, but reveals that Alabama is the only state that hasn’t had a statewide minor party candidate on the ballot, with the party label, since 2014. Alabama hasn’t had one since 2002.

Two Virginia Election Law Bills Advance

On January 21, the Virginia Senate Privileges & Elections Committee passed SB 126. It repeals the law that lets incumbents dictate to their party whether that party should use a primary or a convention for their office.

On January 20, the Virginia Senate passed SB 111. It lets any voter cast an absentee ballot. This is sometimes called “early voting.”

Two Candidates for Milwaukee County Executive Are Disqualified for Signing For Other Candidates for Same Office

According to this story, two of the three candidates for Milwaukee County Executive are off the ballot. They each needed 2,000 signatures, but the law does not permit voters to sign for more than a single candidate for the same office. But the three candidates all used the same paid petitioners, and the paid petitioners asked voters to sign all three petitions.

The office is non-partisan.

New Registration Data for Kentucky

Here is the Kentucky registration data as of January 15, 2020. The percentages are: Democratic 48.58%; Republican 42.60%; Libertarian .29%; Green .05%; Constitution .02%; Socialist Workers .01%; Reform .00+%; independent and other 8.46%.

As of October 15, 2018, the percentages were: Democratic 49.61%; Republican 41.71%; Libertarian .27%; Green .05%; Constitution .02%; Socialist Workers .01%; Reform .00+%; independent and other 8.34%.

New Registration Data for North Carolina

Here is the January 18, 2020 registration data for North Carolina. The percentages are: Democratic 36.46%; Republican 29.94%; Libertarian .58%; Constitution .04%; Green .03%; independent and other 32.95%.

As of October 20, 2018, the percentages were: Democratic 37.88%; Republican 29.81%; Libertarian .53%; Constitution .01%; Green .01%; independent and other 31.76%.