On February 3, the Federal Election Commission announced that it has approved Buddy Roemer’s matching funds submission. Roemer is the only presidential candidate who has even applied so far. Jill Stein is working hard on qualifying. Candidates need to raise at least $5,000 in each of twenty states to qualify. Donations larger than $250 are legal, but for purposes of primary season matching funds, a contribution greater than $250 only counts as $250.
On the afternoon of February 3, Associated Press carried this article, explaining the status of Texas redistricting. It is puzzling that no reporter for mainstream media ever thinks to mention the effect of the Texas muddle on independent candidates and unqualified parties. Petitioning for them can’t start until the primary is held.
On February 3, a Wisconsin State Appeals Court vacated a lower court ruling that had told state election officials to check for duplicate signatures on the statewide recall petitions. In Wisconsin, any adult citizen/resident of the state may sign recall petitions. Therefore, there is no predetermined list of registered voters to check the petition against. The lower court had said that elections officials at least had to weed out duplicate signatures.
Unless there is a further appeal, opponents of the recall will now need to do the work of challenging duplicate signatures. See this story. There are two statewide recall petitions, one for Governor and one for Lieutenant Governor.
On February 1, the two Democratic Party members of the New York State Board of Elections asked U.S. District Court Judge Gary Sharpe to order a reduction in the petition period for congressional candidates seeking a place on a primary ballot. They also asked him for a reduction in the number of signatures for primary ballot access for Congress.
Current law provides 38 days for the circulation of primary petitions. Current law requires U.S. Senate candidates to obtain 15,000 signatures, or 5% of the number of registered members in that party, whichever is less. However, candidates for U.S. Senate who have substantial support at a party meeting do not need signatures.
Current law requires U.S. House candidates to submit 1,250 signatures, or 5% of their party’s membership, whichever is less, in order to get on a primary ballot. All U.S. House primary candidates must petition, whether they have support at a party meeting or not.
The proposal cuts the number of signatures to 75% of what current law requires. The proposal also cuts the number of days to collect the signatures from 38 days to 28 days.
The two Republican members of the State Board of Elections have not suggested this idea, but neither have they opposed it. The reason for shortening the petitioning period and for reducing the number of signatures is that Judge Sharpe recently moved the congressional primary from September to June, and therefore not much time remains for primary petitioning. Thanks to Bill Van Allen for this news.
On January 26, the Washington State House Committee on Government Operations passed HB 1860 by a vote of 10-1. It amends the law on how voters choose major party political committee members. The existing law was declared unconstitutional last year because it allows the entire electorate to help choose party officers.
The bill provides that the primary ballot used for choosing party officers must include a check-box, asking the voter to check his or her party. If the voter chooses the Democratic box, for example, then the voter may proceed to vote for members of the Democratic Party’s precinct committee. The voter’s choice of a party via this checkbox is secret.
