Rhode Island Representative Brian Newberry (R-North Smithfield) has introduced HB 5520, to divide Rhode Island into four equal-population districts. Each “presidential elector district” would elect one presidential elector.
This is different than the Nebraska and Maine systems, in which there are two at-large electors and one each for U.S. House district. Rhode Island only has two U.S. House districts.
On February 24, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Upstate Jobs Party v Kosinski, 24-503, a lawsuit challenging the New York law that lets individuals give more campaign contributions to nominees of qualified parties than to independent candidates and the nominees of unqualified parties.
Indpana State Senator Mike Gaskill (R-Pendleton), author of Senate Bill 201, has abandoned his bill even though it had passed the Senate Elections Committee on February 3. His bill would have converted Indiana from an open primary state to a closed primary state.
The February 23 issue of the New York Times has this story on the lack of competition in U.S. House elections and especially U.S. state legislative elections.
On February 18, the New Hampshire House Election Law Committee defeated HB 172. It would have prohibited independent voters from voting in partisan primaries.
