Arizona Representative Doug Coleman (R-Apache Junction) has introduced HB 2015. It would remove the names of presidential elector candidates from the November ballot. Only five states still print the names of presidential elector candidates on ballots, and Arizona is the most populous of those. Printing the names of eleven candidates for presidential elector for each presidential candidate takes up quite a bit of room on ballots, so if this bill passed, the ballot would be smaller and neater.

Last year, the Utah legislature passed a bill that requires all qualified parties to alter their nomination process. The Republican Party does not like the new law and had filed a federal lawsuit against the new system on December 1, 2014. Utah Republican Party v Herbert, 2:14cv-876.

Last month, the Utah Constitution Party intervened in the lawsuit on the side of the Republican Party. The old law, practically speaking, permits the Constitution Party to nominate by convention. The new law would permit anyone, even someone who is not a member of the party, to submit a primary petition signed by 2% of the party’s members. If that petition succeeds, the party would be forced to nominate by primary for that particular office. The Constitution Party’s amended complaint explains how that would potentially injure the party.

Arkansas State Senator Gary Stubblefield (R-Branch) has introduced SB 389. It moves the presidential primary from late May to early March. The bill provides that only the presidential primary would be in March; the primary for other office would continue to be in May. Thanks to Josh Putnam for this news.