On May 15, the California Assembly unanimously passed AB 2351, which eases the definition of “political party.” The bill alters the vote test (that a group must poll 2% in each midterm year for at least one statewide office) by moving the test from the general election to the primary. The bill changes the alternate registration test by lowering it from 1% of the last gubernatorial vote (which will probably be approximately 110,000 registrations for 2016), to .33% of the total number of registered voters (which will probably be approximately 65,000 for 2016).

Assuming this bill is signed into law, North Carolina will require support from more voters than any other state, to get a newly-qualifying party on the ballot. The North Carolina legislature only came into session on May 14, so there is time for the North Carolina legislature to take up the pending ballot access bill, although there has been no indication so far this year North Carolina legislative leaders are inclined to do that.

The last time the California legislature eased the requirements for a newly-qualifying party to get on the ballot was 1929. The 1929 bill passed unanimously, and created the 1% (of the last gubernatorial vote) registration method, and lowered the petition for newly-qualifying parties from 3% to 1%. However, in 1937, the California legislature increased the petition alternative from 1% to 10%, mostly in reaction to the Communist Party having qualified in 1934. Thanks to Bob Richard for the news about AB 2351.

There are two pending federal lawsuits in Michigan that will affect the ability of Congressman John Conyers to appear on the August 5 Democratic primary ballot. The case that had been filed first, Davis v Johnson, has been delayed somewhat. Judge Gershwin Drain, who had been set to handle the case, has recused himself. The case is now transferred to Judge Matthew Leitman, who will hear the case on May 21.

Judge Drain did not say why he recused himself, but presumably it is because he is a friend of Congressman Conyers. Both judges are Obama appointees.

On May 13, Nebraska held primaries for the Republican, Democratic, and Libertarian Parties. Here is a link to the unofficial returns for all three parties. The only contested Libertarian primary was for U.S. House, 2nd district.