The Alabama bill that improves ballot access for newly-qualifying parties and non-presidential independent candidates has cleared the Senate Rules Committee and is on the calendar for the Senate floor for Tuesday, April 7. Thanks to Joshua Cassity for this news.
Beth Clarkson, chief statistician for the National Institute for Aviation Research, and a Kansas, has been studying November 2014 Kansas election returns, and she has noted odd patterns in the precinct voting returns. On April 1 she filed a lawsuit in state court to obtain records that would help her to investigate further. See this story. UPDATE: See here for more about Clarkson. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the link.
On March 30, the Indiana Senate Elections Committee passed HB 1008, which, among other things, eliminates the straight-ticket device. However, this is a bill with many other election law provisions, and another part of the bill was amended in the Senate committee. Assuming the amended bill passes the Snate, it will need to go back to the House. The House had passed it on February 17.
On April 1, North Carolina Representative David Lewis (R-Harnett) introduced HB 457. It would move the primary for president and all other office to the first Tuesday in March. Current law says the presidential primary should be in February and the primary for all other office in May.
If enacted, the bill would have no effect on petition deadlines for newly-qualifying parties or independent candidates. Thanks to Josh Putnam for the news.
On April 1, the Oklahoma House Elections & Ethics Committee killed SB 233, which would have moved the presidential primary away from the first Tuesday in March to the fourth Tuesday in March. As a result, it is very likely the Oklahoma 2016 presidential primary will be March 1.
Also on April 1, the Alabama Senate Constitution, Ethics & Elections Committee passed SB 240, which moves the primary for president and all other office in presidential years from the 2nd Tuesday in March to the first Tuesday in March.
It is looking likely that 20 (or possibly more) of the 39 Republican presidential primaries of 2016 will be in March. Thanks to Josh Putnam for the news about Oklahoma and Alabama.
