Political scientist Eric Ostermeier, whose blog “Smart Politics” analyzes new and interesting electoral phenomena, has this analysis of the Libertarian Party showings for U.S. Senate in 2014.
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On January 9, Pennsylvania State Senator Mike Folmer (R-Lebanon) was appointed Chair of the Senate State Government Committee. This is the committee that hears election law bills. Folmer has been the leading legislative champion of ballot access reform in Pennsylvania starting in 2009. He introduced ballot access improvement bills in 2009, 2011, and 2013, and intends to do so again this year.
His bill never got a committee hearing in the past, but now that he is the Chair of the Committee, that won’t be a problem. Folmer did hold informal hearings on the bill in his own district office in the past, to gain publicity for the bill, but of course a formal legislative hearing is far more useful.
Also the Pennsylvania Ballot Access Coalition, which has had an inactive web page for many years, is about to launch a new web page that will be current.
Oregon State Senator Lee Beyer (D-Springfield) has introduced SB 328. Currently, Oregon holds its presidential primary and its primary for other office in May. The bill would keep the presidential primary in May, but would move the primary for other office to the third Tuesday of September.
The bill would have no impact on minor parties or independent candidates, because minor parties nominate by convention (except that the Independent Party will almost certainly nominate by primary in 2016). Also the petition deadline for newly-qualifying parties and independent candidates, which is in August, is not tied to the date of the primary. Thanks to Josh Putnam for this news.
The Virginia Senate Campaign Subcommittee will hear SB 766 on Monday, January 19, at 2 p.m. See this article about that bill and the other ballot access bill, the one that eases the definition of a qualified party. Thanks to Sandy Sanders for the link.
Florida will hold a special election in April, for state representative, district 64. Only one candidate’s name will be printed on the ballot.
See this story, which explains why this is happening.
One-candidate elections are very common, but it is rare for a special election to have only one name on the ballot, because almost by definition, when there is a special election, there is no incumbent.