On March 11, the Arizona Senate Government Committee passed HB 2608 by a vote of 4-3. It makes it substantially more difficult for members of small qualified parties to get on their own party’s primary ballot. All Republicans voted “yes” and all Democrats voted “no”. The bill has already passed the House, and that was also a party-line vote.
Currently, Massachusetts has a March presidential primary and a primary for other office in early September. Representative James Dwyer (D-Woburn) has introduced HB 551, which combines both primaries and puts them in June. The bill would not affect the deadline for independent candidates, and the nominees of unqualified parties, to submit petitions. Thanks to Josh Putnam for this news.
Here is the brief filed by the D-R Party in the lawsuit over whether the Democratic and Republican primary turnout was so low in June 2014 that, if state law were to be followed, those parties would not be entitled to have party columns on the general election ballot. The case is D-R Organization of New Jersey v Guadagno, Superior Court, Mercer County, Appellate Division, A-206-14.
According to this story, the Libertarian Party representative on the Alaska campaign finance body will be Mark Fish, not Bill McCord.
Arkansas State Senator Bart Hester (R-Bentonville) has introduced SB 803. Current law says no one may run for more than one office simultaneously. The bill would say that anyone could run for two federal offices simultaneously.
