Iowa State Senator Jeff Taylor has introduced SB 68, which moves the petition deadlines for independent candidates and the nominees of unqualified parties from March to August. Currently the deadline for presidential candidates is in August, but the deadlines for other candidates is in March.

The March deadline for non-presidential petitions was struck down in 2022 in Iowa Libertarian Party v Pate in U.S. District Court, and the state did not appeal. So the state has not been enforcing the March deadline. The effect of this bill, if it passes, will simply conform the election code to actual practice.

Illinois Representative LaShawn K. Ford (D-Chicago) has introduced HB 8, which lets 17-year-olds circulate candidate petitions. Current law requires circulators to be at least 18 years old.

Hawaii State Senator Karl Rhoads (D-Honolulu) has introduced SB 114, to create a presidential primary. Hawaii is one of a few states that has never had a presidential primary.

Unlike the law in some other states, all qualified parties would be entitled to their own presidential primary. Candidates would need a fee of $750, plus 25 signatures. The primary would be the first Tuesday after the first Monday in April. That is a date that no other state uses for a presidential primary, except for Wisconsin.

Newly qualifying parties that want their own presidential primary would need to file their petitions for qualified status in January of the election year.

Rhoads is chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Committee that hears election law bills, so the bill is virtually certain to get a hearing.