The Arkansas House Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs will hear SB 163 on Wednesday, February 6, at 10 a.m., in room 151. This is the bill, which has already passed the Senate, that increases the number of signatures for a newly-qualifying party from 10,000 signatures, to 3% of the last gubernatorial vote, which would be almost 27,000 signatures. The bill does not affect the deadline, which is in January of election years. Nor does the bill alter the time permitted to collect the signatures, which is three months. UPDATE: the hearing will be at 1:30 pm.

If the bill is signed into law, Arkansas law for new parties will be virtually identical to what it was in 2006, when it was declared unconstitutional in Green Party of Arkansas v Daniels.

On February 4, the Arkansas Senate unanimously passed HB 1152, which moves the non-presidential independent candidate petition deadline from March 1 to May 1. Now the bill goes to the Governor. As far as is known, this is the first bill improving ballot access passed in any state’s legislature so far this year.

New Mexico Representative Bill Pratt (D-Albuquerque) has introduced HB 468. It lowers the number of signatures for almost all types of candidates, whether they are running in primaries, or they are the nominees of qualified minor parties, or whether they are independent candidates.

All would need 1,000 signatures if they are running for statewide office, and 500 if running for U.S. House, and lesser amounts for other offices.

There are two ways in which this bill would make ballot access more difficult, though. It would require the presidential nominees of qualified minor parties to submit a petition; currently they do not need a petition. Also it would increase the number of signatures needed for a member of a small party that is entitled to its own primary, to get on the primary. Thanks to Bob Perls for this news.