On April 4, the Delaware House passed HB 89, which moves the primary for all office from September to April. However, the House amended the bill so that it doesn’t change the deadline for minor parties to make their nominations. Under the amended bill, their convention can remain as late as August.
The vote on the bill was 34-6. Now the bill goes to the Senate.
Gravis Marketing has released a poll for the Montana special U.S. House election being held in May. The pollsters include Thomas Breck, the Green Party nominee, even though no one knows yet if he will be on the ballot. A U.S. District Court will decide any time now whether he is on the ballot.
The poll results are: Republican Greg Gianforte 50%; Democrat Rob Quist 38%; Libertarian Mark Wicks 3%; Breck 2%; uncertain 7%. Thanks to Michael for the link.
For the first time, Michigan election officials will hold a Libertarian primary in August 2017. The party polled enough votes last year to qualify for a primary for itself. See this extensive analysis of past minor party primaries in Michigan, written by Greg Stempfle. Thanks to Scotty Boman for the link.
Cheri Honkala and Lucinda Little held a press conference on Wednesday, April 5, to say they will jointly file a federal lawsuit on April 6 to overturn the March 21 special election for State House, 197th district, in Philadelphia. Honkala was the Green Party nominee and Lucinda Little was the Republican nominee. They charge that so many election laws were violated that the election should be run again. It is very difficult to ever persuade a court to invalidate an election and hold a new election.
On April 5, the Oklahoma House Elections & Ethics Committee passed SB 145 by 6-0. This bill makes it easier for independent presidential candidates, and the nominees of unqualified parties, to get on the ballot. It has already passed the Senate.
