A group in Oregon has filed paperwork with the Secretary of State, to begin the process of qualifying an initiative to move all partisan primaries from May to March. The stated purpose is to give the state more influence in choosing the major party presidential nominees. But it is odd that the group proposes to move the primaries in midterm years as well as presidential years. Thanks to Tony Roza for this news.
Nebraska LB 521, an omnibus election law bill, contains a provision on how independent presidential candidates withdraw. They may do so if they request withdrawal no later than 60 days before the election. Last year the Secretary of State did let Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., withdraw, even though the law didn’t specify how to do that.
Montana Representative Braxton Mitchell (R-Columbia Falls) has introduced HB 201, to require paid petitioners to wear a badge that says they are being paid and also to give their state of residence. It has many co-sponsors. The bill also says the petitioner must orally tell everyone he or she approaches that he or she is being paid.
Missouri Representative Brad Banderman (R-St. Clair) has introduced HB 367, to restore Missouri government-administered presidential primaries. Those primaries were abolished in 2022. Missouri had been one of the relatively few states that gave presidential primaries to all ballot-qualified parties.
Two identical bills have been introduced in the Maryland legislature to somewhat restrict petitioning for new parties. HB 41 and SB 267 would move the petition deadline from the first Monday in August, to the first Monday in July. Also, the bills would say that if a petition was rejected for not having enough signatures, the group must start all over with a new petition; it couldn’t supplement the original petition. Here is the text. It was introduced at the request of the State Board of Elections.
