On January 28, the Hawaii House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs passed HB 134, which lets candidates file ballot access petitions electronically. The bill has 18 co-sponsors. It does not authorize petitions to be collected electronically; it just relates to filing completed petitions.
Hawaii State Senator Karl Rhoads (D-Honolulu) has introduced SB 114, to create a presidential primary. Hawaii is one of a few states that has never had a presidential primary.
Unlike the law in some other states, all qualified parties would be entitled to their own presidential primary. Candidates would need a fee of $750, plus 25 signatures. The primary would be the first Tuesday after the first Monday in April. That is a date that no other state uses for a presidential primary, except for Wisconsin.
Newly qualifying parties that want their own presidential primary would need to file their petitions for qualified status in January of the election year.
Rhoads is chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Committee that hears election law bills, so the bill is virtually certain to get a hearing.
Connecticut Representative Brandon Chafee (D-Middletown) has introduced HB 6469. The only text is that the bill will reduce the number of signatures for candidates, both in primaries and in general elections. The bill does not specify any particular numbers or percentages. Apparently in Connecticut, it is normal for legislators to introduce bills without all the specifics.
Connecticut Senator Joan Hartley (D-Waterbury) has introduced SB 1156. It seems to say that if a party has polled at least 1% of the vote for any statewide race at the last election, it is then automatically on the ballot for all districts and towns. Like HB 6469, it is not very specific. It is somewhat likely that Hartley introduced this bill to help the Independent Party.
Steven Nekhaila has been elected chair of the Libertarian National Committee. He is a resident of Florida. He defeated Michael Heise by a vote of 9-6.
The Libertarian National Commitee meets on the evening of Sunday, February 2, to choose a new national chair. It is somewhat of an odd coincidence that the Democratic Party and the Libertarian Party are, or have, chosen new national chairs in meetings so close in time.
