See this story about an NBC/Wall Street Journal Poll released on October 30. There are many interesting findings, including the finding that 30% of the public wants to vote for a minor party, new party, or independent, for Congress, in the next election.
On October 30, the Ohio House passed SB 193, after adding an amendment that for 2014 only, the petition for a newly-qualifying party should be 10,000 signatures. Also the bill had been amended earlier on October 30 in the House to set the vote test at 2% (the Senate version had been 3%) and the party petition in normal years to one-half of 1% of the last vote cast (the Senate version had been 1%).
In the evening of October 30, the Senate rejected all the House amendments.
On October 30, the Ohio House has taken quite a bit of time debating SB 193, the bill that alters the definition of “political party.” The bill passed informally but that just keeps it on the calendar, and it can’t advance until it passes formally. In the meantime further amendments are still being considered. An amendment has been proposed to require 10,000 signatures for parties that want to appear in 2014.
On October 30, the Ohio House Policy and Legislative Oversight Committee passed SB 193, after amending it to make it less restrictive. The bill, as amended, sets the petition to put a newly-qualifying party on the ballot at one-half of 1% of the last vote cast. Existing law requires 1%. For 2014, the amended bill would require almost 28,000 valid signatures, due in July 2014.
Also, the bill, as amended, sets a 2% vote test for the office at the top of the ticket, which would need to be met every four years.
All eight Republicans on the Committee voted for the amended bill; the five Democrats, who favor requiring 5,000 signatures, voted against the bill. Thanks to Bob Bridges for this news. The House will vote on the amended bill in a few hours. UPDATE: here is a news story about the amendments to the bill. UPDATE: here is another story.
On October 29, the Public Religion Research Institute released a study about libertarians in the U.S., and the extent to which they are not the same as Tea Party supporters. See full information about the study here.
This article in The Gazette of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, summarizes some of the interesting points from the survey.
