Two New Jersey Assemblymembers introduced AB 5116 on December 9. It changes New Jersey primary ballot format to an office group ballot. It is pending in the Assembly Committee on Ballot Design.
It has no effect on the general election ballot.
The sponsors are Benjie Wimberly and Al Barlas. Both are Democrats.
On November 5, minor party and independent candidates for U.S. Senate received 3.3% of the total vote cast for U.S. Senate. This does not include write-in votes. Also this only includes the 33 regularly-scheduled Senate elections, not special elections.
Ten of the 33 states with U.S. Senate elections had no minor party or independent candidate on the ballot. Obviously if all 33 states had had minor party or independent candidates, the “other” total would have been significantly higher.
The states with only a Republican and a Democrat on the ballot for U.S. Senate were: California, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
On December 10, a New Jersey state appeals court heard arguments in In Re Malinowski, A-3542-21T2. Here is a news story about the hearing. The three judges seemed very engaged in the case, and although the story says they didn’t tip their hand about their opinions, fusion advocates left the hearing feeling optimistic.
On December 17, presidential electors are meeting in state capitols to choose the president. Although not all state meetings have been held, so far there are no “disobedient” presidential electors.
On December 16, U.S. House member Victoria Spartz, who has been elected as an Indiana Republican three times, said she is leaving the House Republican Conference and that she will not participate in the Republican Caucus. However, she will remain a member of the Republican Party.
Indiana does not have registration by party, so the only method in which party membership can be determined is statements from the individual.
She lives in Noblesville and represents the Fifth Indiana District. She was born in Ukraine.
Currently there are no independents in the U.S. House.
