On June 22, the Utah Democratic Party state convention debated whether to retain the existing system for party nominations. Utah is the only state in which both major parties use a system in which candidates seeking a nomination first compete in party caucuses. The only people who can then run in the party primary are those who had substantial support at the caucuses. See this story. Some Democrats wanted to abandon the caucuses and simply let all candidates run in the party’s primary. But proponents of the current system said that would create a need for candidates to raise more campaign funds.

Massachusetts elects a U.S. Senator on June 25. Three candidates are on the ballot, including Richard Heos, the Twelve Visions Party nominee. This news story seems to be the first one devoted entirely to information about Heos. Here is a second story that gives some information on him.

There have been many polls in this race, and it appears that every poll asks voters if they intend to vote for the Republican nominee or the Democratic nominee, and does not even give respondents an opportunity to say they are voting for Heos.

The New York legislature adjourned early in the morning on Saturday, June 22. Many election law bills failed to pass. They include the National Popular Vote Plan, the “friendly ballot act” (to make the ballot easier to read), and bills to lower the number of signatures, to establish public funding for state office, to make it easier for voters to change parties, to repeal the unconstitutional law that the circulator is a resident of the district, to rotate names on the ballot in New York city primary elections, and to change the Wilson-Pakula Act.

There may be a special session later this year which could include these and other election law bills.