On April 25, the California Senate unanimously passed SB 505.  It makes it more difficult for a candidate to get on a presidential primary ballot.  Current law lets the Secretary of State decide whom to place, but he must place any candidate who is “generally recognized.”

The bill says candidates must satisfy two of these criteria:

(1) qualified to receive primary season matching fund

(2) has participated in a debate hosted by a political party that is qualified to participate in a primary election

(3) on the presidential primary or caucus ballot of another state

(4) the party wants the candidate on the ballot, and he or she must have a campaign office in the state.

The New York Democratic Party has recommended that the legislature move the presidential primary to April 28, and the Governor and leaders of each house of the legislature have agreed.  The New York legislature is now expected to set that date.

This will be the latest presidential primary ever held in New York.  Although the party has had some presidential primaries in April in the past, they were never this late in April.  Thanks to Frontloading HQ for this news.

On April 23, Prince Edward Island held a provincial election.  The legislature has 27 seats, but no election was held in one district because the Green Party nominee died just before the vote.  That district will be filled later.

Among the 26 seats that were decided, the Progressive Conservative Party won 12 seats, the Green Party won eight, and the Liberal Party won six.  Because the Green Party placed second, it becomes the official opposition party.

Before the election, there were 16 Liberals, eight Progressive Conservatives, two Greens, and one independent.  See the wikipedia article about the election.