On March 4, the Birmingham News again published a column by Joey Kennedy, deploring Alabama ballot access and publicizing SB 265, the bill to cut the number of signatures in half and improve the deadline somewhat. The newspaper had a similar column last month.
The Ohio Secretary of State’s omnibus election law bill, SB 47, has a few provisions that impact ballot access. The bill repeals the ban on out-of-state circulators, for all types of petition. The only remaining requirement for a circulator would be that the circulator is at least 18 years old.
However, it makes it somewhat more difficult for initiatives and referendum to appear on the ballot. Currently, when election official determine that such a petition lacks enough valid signatures, the proponents have ten days to collect more signatures. The bill eliminates the ability to get new signatures during the ten-day period. Instead, the only supplemental signatures that could be submitted would be those that had been collected before the ten-day period, but (for some reason) had not been submitted already.
Also, the bill says that petitions to place a candidate on the ballot must be completed within one year. This is not a serious restriction, because no candidate petition in Ohio requires more than 5,000 signatures. The provision does not relate to petitions for a newly-qualifying party. Thanks to Will Klatt for news of this bill.
Two members of the U.S. House of Representatives have introduced HB 936, which would outlaw straight-ticket devices in federal elections. The law adds one sentence to the federal “Help America Vote Act” law: “No state may provide a voter with the opportunity to indicate the selection of a political party as a representation of the selection of an individual candidate.”
The Hill has this story about the bill, which is sponsored by Congressman Jim Matheson (D-Utah) and Charlie Dent (R-Pa). Both of the sponsors represent states that have the straight-ticket device. The story about the bill says 15 states have the straight-ticket device, but New Jersey does not have a straight-ticket device in general elections. Thanks to Art DiBianca for the link.
Two Maine State Senators and eight Maine Representatives have introduced LD 573, which would amend the State Constitution. Currently Maine permits felons to vote. The amendment would remove voting rights for individuals who were sentenced to at least ten years in prison. If the legislature passes it with a two-thirds vote, then the voters would vote on it. See this story. Thanks to Tom MacMillan for the link.
The Tennessee Senate State and Local Government Committee will hear SB 1091 on March 26. This is the bill that lowers the number of signatures for a newly-qualifying party from 2.5% of the last gubernatorial vote, to exactly 1,000 signatures. Thanks to Daniel Lewis for this news.
