On April 23, the Alabama Senate unanimously passed SB 324, which moves the deadline for qualified parties to certify the names of their presidential nominees from 82 to 74 days before the November election. It also moves the petition deadline for independent candidates to the same date, 74 days before the general election. The bill can be seen here. It seems to be a permanent improvement; it doesn’t say it only applies to the 2024 election.
O April 10, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs signed HB 2474, which says petitions to recognize a new party must be completed within two years.
The Federal Election Commission compiles a book every year that gives the contact information for each state’s elections office. It is the “Combined Federal/State Disclosure and Election Directory.” One can see the new version on-line at this link. Thanks to Thomas Jones for this news.
Here is a short news story about the Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. independent presidential petition drive in Amarillo, Texas. Now that No Labels has dropped out, Kennedy’s petition is apparently the only Texas statewide candidate petition circulating. As far as is known, no party is attempting the Texas party petition this year. The Libertarian and Green Parties are already on the ballot.
A Missouri state trial court will hear Missouri Republican Party v Secretary of State, Cole Circuit Court 24AC-CC02151, on May 9, Thursday, at 2:30 p.m. This is the lawsuit filed by the Republican Party to prevent Darrell McClanahan from appearing on its August 2024 primary ballot. He is running for Governor. He is an honorary member of the KKK and the party is asserting a freedom of association right to exclude him from its primary.
On April 23, the Better Party submitted its petition to be a qualified party in Missouri. The party is centrist and was formed to help Jared Young run for U.s. Senate. The party may run candidates for other office as well. See this story.