Indiana Representative Ryan Dvorak (D-South Bend) has again introduced his bill to greatly ease ballot access. He introduced the same bill in 2022 and 2024. It lowers the statewide petition for independent candidates, and the nominees of unqualified parties, from 2% of the last vote for Secretary of State, to exactly 250 signatures. It also lowers the definition of a ballot-qualified party from one that polled 2% for Secretary of State at the last election, to a group that polled at least 2,500 votes for its candidate for Secretary of State.

On January 28, the Hawaii House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs passed HB 134, which lets candidates file ballot access petitions electronically. The bill has 18 co-sponsors. It does not authorize petitions to be collected electronically; it just relates to filing completed petitions.

Connecticut Representative Brandon Chafee (D-Middletown) has introduced HB 6469. The only text is that the bill will reduce the number of signatures for candidates, both in primaries and in general elections. The bill does not specify any particular numbers or percentages. Apparently in Connecticut, it is normal for legislators to introduce bills without all the specifics.

Connecticut Senator Joan Hartley (D-Waterbury) has introduced SB 1156. It seems to say that if a party has polled at least 1% of the vote for any statewide race at the last election, it is then automatically on the ballot for all districts and towns. Like HB 6469, it is not very specific. It is somewhat likely that Hartley introduced this bill to help the Independent Party.