| Page 3801

Tennessee Bills to Make Very Minor Improvements to Ballot Access

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Richard WingerJanuary 30, 2014

A bill has been introduced in each house of the Tennessee legislature to make limited ballot access improvements for minor parties. SB 1466 and HB 1727 lower the petition for a group that wants to become a ballot-qualified party within just a single county from 5% of the last gubernatorial vote, to 2.5% of the last gubernatorial vote. The bill also says a county ballot-qualified party may remain ballot-qualified if it polls 5% in the last election; currently the requirement is a vote of 20%.

Also, the bill says when a special legislative or congressional election is held, a group that had not previously been a ballot-qualified party may petition for that special election, but the petition will be 2.5% of the last gubernatorial vote within that district.

The sponsors are Senator Mark Norris (R-Collierville) and Representative Harry Brooks (R-Knoxville).

Arizona Bill to Repeal Ballot Access Restriction Advances in Legislature

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Richard WingerJanuary 30, 2014

On January 30, the Arizona House Judiciary Committee passed HB 2196. That bill repeals the 2013 bill, HB 2305, that made it extremely difficult for members of small qualified parties to get on their own party’s primary ballots. HB 2305 had many other election law provisions also, some of which are strongly opposed by Democrats and their allies.

Repealing the 2013 bill would cancel the November 2014 referendum on the 2013 bill. See this story.

Bad Weather Causes Last-Minute Postponement of Three Alabama Special Legislative Primaries or Elections

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Richard WingerJanuary 30, 2014

Two primaries and one election for Alabama legislative races had been set for January 28, but all three were postponed on January 27, due to bad weather. See this story, which says that new dates for the elections have not yet been set. According to the Secretary of State’s web page, the elections have been re-set and will be held February 4.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania Newspaper Publishes Letter on Refusal of State Senator Lloyd Smucker to Hold a Hearing on Ballot Access Bill

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Richard WingerJanuary 30, 2014

The daily newspaper of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the Intelligencer Journal, has this letter to the editor. It chides State Senator Lloyd Smucker, who represents Lancaster, for repeatedly refusing to hold a hearing on SB 195, the bill to improve ballot access for minor party and independent candidates. The bill has been introduced in three sessions of the legislature, but it has never had a hearing. It is in the Senate State Government Committee, chaired by Senator Smucker. Senator Smucker has twice scheduled meetings with supporters of the bill, and then in each case canceled the meeting.

Oregon Republican Leaders Will Seek to Move Oregon Primary from May to an Earlier Date

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Richard WingerJanuary 30, 2014

According to this story, Oregon Republican Party leaders will try to persuade the legislature to move the primary from mid-May to an earlier date. Thanks to FrontloadingHQ for the link.