Democratic National Convention Will be in July; Good News for Proponents of More General Election Debates

Posted on by January 23, 2015
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On January 23, the Democratic National Committee said the 2016 national convention will be July 25-28, 2016. This is good news for proponents of improved general election presidential and vice-presidential debates. In 2016, for the first time since 1960, both major party slates will have been chosen by July. This means there is a much longer period for general election presidential and vice-presidential debates than there has been in the recent past. In all the years 1964 through 2012, the major party tickets hadn’t been chosen until August or September, so there wasn’t as much time for general election debates. It is now plausible to expand the number of general election debates, because the general election campaign season will be so much longer. And, if there are more debates, the case for at least one inclusive general election debate is strong.

The Republican convention dates are July 18-21, 2016.

In 1960, the Democratic convention was July 11-14, and the Republican convention was July 25-28. That is the first year general election presidential debates were ever held in the United States. There was no vice-presidential debate in 1960, but there were four presidential debates. Never since 1960 have there been as many as four presidential debates in the general election season.

The earliest general election presidential debate that included any major party nominees was the September 21, 1980 debate, but President Jimmy Carter refused to attend that one, so the debate was between independent John Anderson and Republican Ronald Reagan. Other than that debate, no general election debate with major party nominees has ever been earlier than September 23, but now it is sensible that there should be debates in August and any part of September.

South Dakota Legislative Committee Postpones Consideration of Bill Affecting Newly-Qualifying Parties

Posted on by January 23, 2015
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The South Dakota Senate State Affairs was to have considered SB 69 on Friday, January 23, but has put off the hearing until next week. The bill, as originally introduced, moves the petition for a newly-qualifying party from March to February. An amendment has been put forth to provide that parties can also get the ballot with a June deadline, but such parties would nominate by convention, not by primary. South Dakota holds its primaries in June. The ACLU of South Dakota deserves credit for getting the amendment introduced, and it will be discussed next week.

Oklahoma Ballot Access Improvement Bills Introduced in House

Posted on by January 23, 2015
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As already noted, a bill to improve Oklahoma ballot access was introduced recently in the State Senate. Now there are two even better bills introduced in the House.

HB 2181, by Speaker of the House Jeffrey Hickman (R-Fairview), would lower the petition to recognize a party to 1% of the last gubernatorial vote. That would be 8,249 signatures in 2016.

HB 1813, by Representative Eric Proctor (D-Tulsa) would make the petition for a new party exactly 5,000 signatures, which was the Oklahoma law between 1924 and 1974. Oklahoma never had more than two minor parties on the ballot at any election during those fifty years.

The State Senate bill, SB 318, sets the party petition at 2% of the last vote cast. Thanks to Richard Prawdzienski for the news about the House bills.

Georgia Ballot Access Bill Introduced

Posted on by January 23, 2015
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Six Georgia State House members have introduced HB 58, which lowers minor party and independent petitions for district and county office. The bill lowers these petitions from 5% of the number of registered voters, to 2% of the last vote cast when that office was last voted on.

If the bill were in effect for 2016, an independent or minor party candidate for U.S. House in the average district would need 3,294 signatures. The current law for the average U.S. House district is 18,540 signatures. Thus, the bill would be a big improvement for U.S. House, legislature, and county office.

The bill would have no effect on the law that enables a group to get on the ballot for all the statewide offices (but not the district offices). That existing law requires a petition of 1% of the number of registered voters (51,912).

The bill also makes changes for statewide candidate petitions, but the statewide changes are not helpful. It would require 2% of the last vote cast for statewide office, just as it does for district office. For statewide office in 2018, if the bill were in effect, 51,004 signatures would be needed, whereas under current law 51,912 are needed, so that would mean virtually no change. But, if the bill were in effect, the 2016 presidential candidate petitions would be worse than they are now. Current law for independent presidential candidates in 2016 requires 49,336 signatures, but if the bill were in effect 78,100 signatures would be needed.

The chief sponsor of HB 58 is Representative John Pezold (R-Columbus). The others are Rusty Kidd (I-Milledgeville), Joe Wilkinson (R-Atlanta), Michael Caldwell (R-Woodstock), David Stover (R-Newnan), and Scot Turner (R-Holly Springs). HB 58 is almost exactly like a bill introduced in 2005, HB 927. The 2005 bill was introduced in late March, so it was too late to advance that year, and it didn’t advance in 2006 either. However, the lead sponsor for HB 927 back in 2005 was Representative David Ralston, and Ralston is now the House Speaker. Thanks to Garland Favorito for this news.