On March 13, the New Hampshire House passed HB 1322, which lowers the vote test for qualified party status from 4% to 3%. The only offices that count for the vote test are U.S. Senate and Governor.

New Hampshire is one of only three states which has not had any ballot-qualified parties at any time in the last 18 years. The other two are Pennsylvania and New Jersey. If the bill becomes law, it will still be true that New Hampshire is one of only three such states. The only minor party on the ballot in New Hampshire for Governor in 2012 was the Libertarian Party, which got 2.78% for Governor. There was no US Senate race in New Hampshire in 2012.

The New Hampshire vote test for party status between 1891 and 1996 was 3%, and HB 1322 restores that percentage. Thanks to Darryl Perry for this news.

On March 13, the Kansas Senate Ethics & Elections Committee passed HB 2130. It is an omnibus election law bill, and among other things, repeals the ban on out-of-state circulators. The bill had passed the House last year. Kansas has two-year legislative sessions.

Louisiana election law allows use of the label “independent” on the ballot for independent presidential candidates, but not independent candidates for other office. However, Representative Jerome Richard has introduced HB 193, to allow “independent” as a ballot label for all independent candidates, not just presidential independents. Current law requires them to use “No party” as a ballot label.

Governor Bobby Jindal vetoed a similar law in 2011, but the Governor’s veto message showed confusion. His veto message said that the bill wasn’t necessary because another law already prevents a party from being named “Independent Party.” But whether a qualified political party can call itself the Independent Party is not the same subject as whether independent candidates can use that label.