New York bills to make it easier for candidates to withdraw from the general election failed to pass the legislature, before the legislature adjourned.  S5462 had passed the Senate but did not receive a vote in the Assembly.

The bill would have helped individuals who accept minor party nominations before the major party primaries, and then those same individuals lose their major party primary.  Typically such candidates then no longer wish to run in the general election, but they have a very difficult time removing their names (as minor party nominees) from the November ballot.  Generally they can only withdraw by accepting the nomination of some party to run for a partisan judicial office.

On June 24, the Pennsylvania Senate Appropriations Committee passed SB 421.  This is the bill to abolish the straight-ticket device.  The bill had earlier passed the Senate State Government Committee.  Now the bill goes to the Senate floor.

California Senator Tom Umberg is amending his SB 696, so as to transform it into a bill that bans any party from using “Independent” as part of its name.

The American Independent Party is now on the ballot in California.  If this bill becomes law and is not overturned, the American Independent Party would be required to change its name, but it would retain all the registered members it now has.  Read it here .

According to Senator Umberg’s office, the word “Independence” would also be banned.  The bill bans variations of the word “independent”.