In March, California will hold a special State Senate election in which only one candidate will be on the ballot. This newspaper story says the Los Angeles County part of the district will cost $1,400,000. The district has substantial parts of Los Angeles County and substantial parts of San Bernardino County. The reporter could not get the San Bernardino County estimate, but it will probably be at least half of the Los Angeles County’s costs.
On Friday, January 30, the South Dakota Senate put off voting on SB 69, even though it had been placed on the day’s agenda. The bill makes ballot access more difficult both for newly-qualifying parties and independent candidates.
Joe Mathews, who studies California politics and government, here suggests that low turnout in Los Angeles city elections might be increased if the city had partisan elections for city office. Los Angeles, and all California cities and counties, have non-partisan elections for their own officers.
The South Dakota Senate convenes at 1 p.m. on Friday, January 30. On the agenda is SB 69, which makes ballot access worse, both for newly-qualifying parties and independent candidates.
This Georgia blog associated with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution mentions HB 58 favorably. HB 58 is the bill to sharply reduce the number of signatures needed for independent and minor party candidates for U.S. House, legislature, and partisan county office. In the past Georgia ballot access bills have been ignored by Georgia’s important news outlets.
