Between February 12-16, a museum near Atlanta will feature an exhibit on Black presidential candidates in U.S. history, going back to 1904. See here for more information. The exhibit will be in the Sights & Sounds Black Cultural Expo Museum, in North Dekalb Mall, 2050 Lawrenceville Hwy., Decatur Ga 30033. Then, starting February 17-19, it will be at the Atlanta University Center.
On January 22, a subcommittee of the Virginia House Privileges & Elections Committee heard testimony on HB 1463, which changes the definition of “Political party” from a group that at least 10% for a statewide race at either of the last two elections, to one that got at least 4%. Four witnesses testified, all in favor of the bill. However, the subcommittee then voted to postpone the bill indefinitely, which is a way of killing the bill without any actually voting “no.” Thanks to Bill Redpath for this news.
The Third Circuit will hear Balsam v Guadagno, 14-3882, on Tuesday, March 17, probably in Philadelphia. This is the case in which some voters argue that the U.S. Constitution does not permit states to pay for partisan primaries unless all voters are permitted to vote in those primaries. Some of the voters are independents. Others are members of the Democratic or Republican Parties, but they say they would rather not be members of those parties and they just register that way so they can vote in New Jersey partisan primaries.
New Jersey law lets independent voters join a party on primary day, at the polls, and then they can vote in one of the primaries. That voter is then free to re-register as an independent immediately after voting in the primary. Thanks to Shawn Griffiths for the news about the hearing date.
Oklahoma Representative John Montgomery (R-Lawton) has introduced HB 1159, which expands the amount of time for initiative proponents to circulate their petition from 90 days to 150 days.
Oklahoma Senator David Holt (R-Oklahoma City) has introduced SJR 13, to lower the number of signatures for statewide initiatives. Currently, initiatives to change the State Constitution need 15% of the last gubernatorial vote, and statutory initiatives need 8%. The bill would lower those to 10% and 2%. If the bill passed, Oklahoma would have the nation’s easiest statewide initiative for making statute changes. Currently Massachusetts has the easiest, 3% of the last gubernatorial vote. SJR 13, even if passed by the legislature, would not go into effect until after the voters had approved it. Thanks to E. Zachary Knight for this news.
The South Dakota Senate State Affairs heard testimony on SB 69 on Wednesday, January 21. This bill moves the deadline for a newly-qualifying party from March to February, even though in 1984 the state settled out of court and agreed that it would no longer require such petitions in February. The 1984 legislature had moved the deadline to April, but the 2007 legislature had then moved it to March.
The committee heard testimony that the bill should be amended, to allow newly-qualifying parties to submit petitions later in the year, and nominate by convention. Currently South Dakota is the only state in the nation in which it is impossible for a previously unqualified party to have its presidential nominee on the November ballot, with the party label, unless it qualified in time to participate in a primary. The committee will vote on the bill on Friday, January 23.
