The State Senate race in New York’s 60th district in Buffalo featured a four-candidate race, in which the winning Democrat, Marc Panepinto, won with only 32.65% of the vote.

The incumbent State Senator, Republican Mark G. Grisanti, lost the Republican primary to Kevin T. Stocker. Grisanti had voted for a gun control measure and Stocker based his campaign on opposition to the measure, although it had already been passed and signed into law. But Grisanti was still in the general election because the Independence Party nominated him. The Conservative Party ran its own nominee, Timothy D. Gallagher, because both Grisanti and Stocker support same-sex marriage. Thus, there were four candidates in the race.

The results were: Panepinto received 27.71% on the Democratic line and another 4.94% on the Working Families line, for a total of 32.65%.

Stocker received 30.86% on the Republican line.

Grisanti received 28.10% on the Independence line.

Gallagher received 8.40% on the Conservative line.

Arizona Representative John Allen (R-Scottsdale) has introduced HB 2002, to make it a misdemeanor for anyone to remove or deface a campaign sign between the period 45 days before a primary, and ending a week after the general election. The bill, of course, permits a candidate or his or her representative to remove his or her own sign. Here is a link to the text of the bill. This seems to be the only election law bill introduced so far in the Arizona legislature.

North Carolina Representative Jason R. Saine (R-Lincolnton) is expected to introduce a bill in 2015, lowering the number of signatures for newly-qualifying parties and independent candidates to get on the ballot. Currently, North Carolina requires more signatures to get a party, or a statewide independent candidate, on the ballot than any other state. The 2016 petition requirement for both is 89,366 signatures. The petition for a party is due in May, and for an independent candidate, in June.