On February 14, the Alabama Senate Constitution, Campaign Finance, Ethics & Elections Committee passed SB 15 by a vote of 5-0. This bill lowers the number of signatures for a statewide party to 5,000 signatures. For parties that are only trying to get on the ballot in part of the state, the bill lowers that petition requirement from 3% of the last gubernatorial vote within that district, to 1.5%, but with a cap at 5,000. The bill also lowers the petition requirement for independent candidates. Thanks to Josh Cassidy for this news.

On February 8, the Missouri House passed HB 1036 with only one “no” vote. The bill eliminates party logos from the November ballot. A “logo” is a cartoon-like emblem of a political party. County election officials requested this bill. They say that some voters think that the logo is a straight-ticket device. These voters draw a circle around the logo and then don’t vote for any candidates. Evidently they think that the logo is a straight-ticket device and that they have voted for all the nominees of their preferred party.

On February 14, the New Mexico Senate Judiciary Committee passed SB 218, after amending it to make it worse for minor parties. The bill says general election ballots will carry straight-ticket devices. As amended, only parties with at least two statewide nominees could have a straight-ticket device.

The problem with this is that New Mexico requires a very difficult petition for a qualified minor party to place its own nominees on the November ballot, other than its presidential nominee. For example, in 2012, New Mexico has two statewide races, President and U.S. Senate. New Mexico will probably have five parties, other than the Democratic and Republican Parties, who are on the ballot for President. But chances are, none of them will have a nominee for U.S. Senate, because that takes a separate petition of 6,018 signatures, due in late June.