On June 16, the Vermont legislature passed HB 474. It says someone who loses a major party primary may not then qualify as the nominee of a minor party, or as an independent. Also it says write-ins will no longer be counted unless the candidate has filed a declaration of write-in candidacy before the election. For general election write-in candidates, the deadline is the Thursday before the general election. Here is the text of the bill, which is an omnibus bill with many other provisions.

The “sore loser” part of the bill appears to apply to independent presidential candidates, but not minor party presidential candidates. It says, “A candidate who loses a major party primary for any office shall not appear on the general election ballot as an independent candidate for the same office for which the candidate lost in the primary election.”

UPDATE: Governor Phil Scott signed the bill on June 25.

On June 24, the Wisconsin Assembly passed AB 35. It lets independent candidates withdraw from the November ballot. The bill was introduced as a result of the Robert F. Kennedy Jr. presidential candidacy last year. Kennedy wanted to withdraw but there was no procedure for him to do that, so he was forced to remain on the ballot.

On June 24, Maine State Senator Rick Bennett said that he has switched his registration from Republican to independent, and that he will run for Governor next year as an independent. See this story.

Bennett has served as the Republican Party state chair; as Maine’s Republican National Committeeman; as as President of the Maine Senate; as a Republican nominee for U.S. House; and as the state’s Republican presidential elector from the 2nd District. As an elector, he voted in the electoral college for Donald Trump in 2016.