The only state in which the legislature has passed a bill requiring presidential candidates to reveal their tax returns is New Jersey. On May 1, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie vetoed the New Jersey bill, SB 3048. Here is his veto message.
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This article in The Independent says that key leaders of the Labour Party of Great Britain are edging toward support of proportional representation.
On May 4, the Alabama House passed HB 552. It lowers the independent candidate petition requirement in special elections from 3% of the last gubernatorial vote, to 1%. It does not apply to special elections if the special election was called more than 120 days before the petition deadline.
In the matter of the upcoming special U.S. Senate election to be held this year, that special election was called on April 19, and the petition deadline is August 15. That interval is less than 120 days, so assuming this bill is signed into law, the independent petition requirement for that special election will be 11,804 signatures instead of 35,413. The bill now goes to the State Senate.
The bill gives no relief to petitions to put the nominee of an unqualified party on the ballot.
In 1990, a U.S. District Court in Alabama ruled that it was unconstitutional for the state to provide a higher petition requirement for independents than for newly-qualifying parties. That was Patton v Camp. Given that precedent in Alabama, it is odd that HB 552 doesn’t also include petitions for newly-qualifying parties. Thanks to Joshua Cassity for the news about HB 552.
On March 13, South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard signed HB 1034. It changes the vote test for a party to remain on the ballot. The old law requires a vote of 2.5% for Governor. The new law requires 2.5% for any statewide race.
The only parties on the ballot in 2016 in South Dakota were Republican, Democratic, Libertarian and Constitution. All four of them met this new requirement. The Libertarian Party polled 5.6% for President, and the Constitution Party polled 4.95% for Public Service Commission.
The old vote test had to be met every four years, and the new requirement means parties must pass the vote test every two years. Superficially, then, that is more difficult. But in reality, there are always enough statewide offices on the South Dakota ballot every election year that the change makes it easier, not more difficult, for a party to remain on.
On May 4, U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Batton ruled that Georgia must let voters register to vote in the special congressional election being held June 20. The new registration deadline is May 21. Georgia State Conference NAACP v State, n.d., 1:17cv-1397.
Georgia law won’t let new voters register in time for a runoff, if they hadn’t been registered in time for the initial election.