Massachusetts voters now have the ability to register into the Socialism and Liberation Party, and election officials will tally how many people do that. This is the first step for an unrecognized party to become recognized. However, the job is veery difficult; Massachusetts requires that 1% of all voters register into a party before it is ballot-qualified. That takes approximately 50,000 registrants.

The other path for a group to become a qualified party is easier. If a group runs someone for statewide office who polls 3% of the vote, that group also becomes a qualified party.

On February 2, the South Dakota Senate State Affairs Committee defeated SB 33. It would have reduced the independent presidential petition requirement from 1% of the last gubernatorial vote, to one-half of 1% of the registered voters.

On January 27, the California Senate passed SB 46 by a vote of 30-10. It says that presidential primary candidates must sign a statement under penalty of perjury that they meet the constitutional requirements to be president.

Here is a new story about the bill. The author, Senator Tom Umberg, says it is to prevent President Trump from running for renomination in 2028.

The problem with this bill is that the California Constitution directs the Secretary of State to automatically place every candidate on presidential primary ballots who is reported in the news media as a significant candidate. The bill, if enacted, would violate the California Constitution for the same reason that the California Supreme Court unanimously invalidated an earlier state law that said presidential primary candidates must reveal their income tax returns.