This Washington Post story reveals that several Republican candidates for statewide office in this year’s Virginia primaries were willing to stand in line for hours. They thought being first in line meant they would be listed first on the ballot. As the story explains, however, those who did so were wasting their time, because state officials interpreted the law to mean that everyone who was there at noon on March 13 essentially tied with everyone else who was there at that hour. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the link.

On March 7, the Hawaii Senate passed SB 462 unanimously. It deletes the requirement that candidate petitions ask signers to show the last four digits of their Social Security Number. Unfortunately the bill does not delete the same requirement for the petition to create a new party. But if this bill passes, it seems likely the new party petition might also be reformed in the near future.

North Carolina Representative Harry Warren, a Republican, has introduced HB 193. It changes the terms of state legislators from two years to four years. It also includes term limits of three terms.