The Alabama legislature convenes January 9, 2018. The only election law bills of interest that have been filed so far are identical bills in each house that would eliminate special elections for U.S. Senate, except for special elections held simultaneously with regularly-scheduled elections. If these bills had been law during 2017, the vacant U.S. Senate seat recently filled by Doug Jones would not have been up until November 2018.

The bills are SB 18, by Senator Gerald O. Dial (R-Lineville) and HB 17, by Representative Steve Clouse (R-Ozark).

On January 1, 2018, the Georgia Libertarian Party filed this short brief in Cowen v Kemp, n.d., 1:17cv-4660. This is the case that challenges the Georgia petition requirement for independent and minor party candidates for U.S. House. Georgia had filed a motion suggesting a procedural problem with the case, which the new Libertarian brief rebuts. More importantly, the Libertarian brief points out that this is a time-sensitive case if the party is going to be any relief in time for the 2018 election.

Utah Representative Justin Fawson (R-North Ogden) has introduced HB 68. It would let parties decide whether or not to let candidates petition onto that party’s primary ballot. If parties don’t want to allow candidates to petition onto their primary ballot, then the only other way to get on a primary ballot would be for the candidate to make a strong showing in a party endorsements meeting. That was the law in Utah several years ago.

Ever since the petition alternative was added, the Utah Republican Party has been suing in federal court to eliminate the ability of candidates to petition onto the Republican primary ballot. The lawsuit, Utah Republican Party v Cox, 16-4091, is pending in the Tenth Circuit. The Utah Republican Party only wants candidates who do well in party meetings.