On January 22, the Indiana Senate Elections Committee passed SB 328 by 6-3. It lowers the number of signatures for an independent candidate, or the nominee of an unqualified party, from 2% of the last Secretary of State vote, to one-half of 1% of the last Secretary of State vote. If it passes, it takes effect January 1, 2019. Thanks to Craig Marolf for this news.
UPDATE: see this news story about the bill (the lower half of the article).
The National Democratic Committee’s Rules & Bylaws Committee met in Washington, D.C., January 19-20, to start reviewing ideas for changes in the 2020 presidential selection process. See this story. The Committee will be reviewing ideas of the Democratic Unity Commission, which had recommended fewer superdelegates, and had urged the party’s state legislators to do everything in their power to create same-day voter registration, or automatic voter registration, in the states that don’t have either process. Also the Democratic Unity Commission recommended that states like New York and Delaware have more relaxed deadlines for voters to switch parties.
A U.S. District Court will hear Merced v Spano, e.d., 1:16cv-3054, on Thursday, March 29, at 3:30 pm in Brooklyn. This is the case on New York’s ban on out-of-state circulators. The Libertarian Party filed this case in 2016.
On Sunday, January 21, the Texas Republican Party filed a lawsuit in state court to remove 128 Democrats from the Democratic primary ballot in Dallas County. See this story. The Republican Party says there is a paperwork flaw with the filings. The case is Dallas County Republican Party v Dallas County Democratic Party, Dallas District Court, DC-18-821. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the link.
This Dakota Free Press story predicts the South Dakota legislature will soon amend a pending election law bill, HB 1012, to make various significant improvements in ballot access for small political parties. Thanks to Lori Stacey for the link.
