Maine Representative Louis Luchini (D-Ellsworth) and five other legislators have introduced LD 295. Current law says the only way a party can remain on the ballot is to have had at least 10,000 registered members who actually voted in the general election (it doesn’t matter whom they voted for; they merely must have cast a ballot). The bill would retain that provision, but provide that a party also remains on if it polled at least 5% for the office at the top of the ballot. Here is a copy of the bill. Gary Johnson received more than 5% of the presidential vote in November 2016 in Maine.

Another bill, which hasn’t yet been introduced, but which is backed by the Secretary of State, would ease the procedures for a group to qualify as a party. The existing law required 5,000 registered voters by December of the year before the election, but that law was enjoined by a federal court last year.

On February 3, the New Mexico Senate Judiciary Committee passed SB 42. This is the bill to have New Mexico join the National Popular Vote Plan. The lead sponsor is Senator Mimi Stewart (D-Albuquerque).

On January 26, the Idaho House passed HB 13. It eliminates an election law that discriminates against incumbents, relative to the time limit for switching parties. Current law says incumbents can’t file to run for re-election if they changed parties during the previous five days. But all other primary candidates may get on the ballot even if they did switch parties during the previous five days.

A federal court enjoined the law last year, in Teton County Republican Central Committee v Hansen, 1:16cv-160. The incumbent sheriff of Teton County, Tony Liford, had switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party on the very day he filed to run for re-election in the 2016 Republican primary, but election officials had kept him off the Republican primary ballot because of his recent party switch. The Republican Party had then filed a lawsuit to overturn the restriction, and the judge restored Liford to the Republican primary ballot. He went on to win the Republican nomination and also he won the general election.