Texas Bill to Move Presidential Primary, and Primary for all Other Office, from March to January

Posted on by February 11, 2015
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Texas Representative Lyle Larson (R-San Antonio) has introduced HB 1214, to move the Texas primary for president and all other office from March to January. No state in U.S. history has ever had its congressional primary so early as January.

Because Texas links its petition deadlines for new parties and non-presidential independents to the date of the primary, if this bill passed, non-presidential independent candidates would need to submit their petition by April 21. Newly-qualifying parties would be required to submit their petitions by April 10. Newly-qualifying parties would also be required to tell the Secretary of State of their intention to petition no later than October of the year before the election, and non-presidential independent candidates would need to file a declaration of candidacy in October of the year before the election as well. Thanks to Jim Riley for this news.

Independent Voter Project Again Arranges for Hawaii Vacation for California State Legislators

Posted on by February 11, 2015
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The Independent Voter Project, which intervenes in court every time the California top-two system is challenged, and which even intervened in two cases on the write-in ban, facilitates a Hawaiian vacation for some California legislators once per year. Generally, the San Diego Reader then finds out about it, when the expense records are made public, and carries a story about it. Here is the story the San Diego Reader carried on February 11, relating to last year’s event.

Missouri Constitution Party Wins Injunctive Relief in Ballot Access Case

Posted on by February 11, 2015
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On February 10, officials in St. Louis County, Missouri, agreed to put the Constitution Party’s nominee on the ballot in the special election for County Council, Sixth District. The special election will be April 7; the Constitution Party’s nominee is Cynthia Redburn.

The county charter says that in special elections, only the nominees of the two parties that polled the biggest vote in the state for Governor may run nominees. The party had filed a lawsuit against this provision on January 30, 2015, Constitution Party of Missouri v St. Louis County, e.d., 4:15cv-207. The case was to have had a hearing on February 11, but the day before, the county agreed to list Redburn on the ballot. The U.S. District Court will in the near future consider whether the provision violates the U.S. Constitution. Here is the two-page consent judgment. Thanks to Independent Political Report for this news.

Article on California Politics Web Site “Fox and Hounds” Points Out Factual Error in State Court of Appeals Top-Two Decision

Posted on by February 11, 2015
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Joe Mathews has this column at Fox and Hounds, a California politics web site. Mathews points out the important factual error in the January 29 State Court of Appeals decision Rubin v Padilla. The decision upheld California’s top-two system, but the judges largely based their opinion on their misunderstanding that before top-two went into effect, independent voters couldn’t vote in congressional and state office primaries.

New Hampshire Legislature Considers Expanding Gubernatorial Terms from Two Years to Four Years

Posted on by February 10, 2015
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Nine Democratic members of the New Hampshire House, along with the independent member, have introduced CACR 10. It would amend the State Constitution to convert gubernatorial terms from two years to four years. Currently, all states have four year gubernatorial terms except for New Hamnpshire and Vermont, which elect governors every two years. Thanks to Howard Wilson for this news.