North Carolina Ballot Access Bill Expected to Pass Senate Committee Next Week

Posted on by July 23, 2011
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The North Carolina ballot access reform bill, HB 32, which has already passed the House, is set for a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee in the next week, which means it will then receive a vote on the Senate floor if it passes Committee. It is believed that the Committee will support the bill, because otherwise it would not have been set for a hearing. The exact date of the hearing is not yet determined. The bill lowers the number of signatures for minor parties and statewide independent candidates from 2% of the last gubernatorial vote, to one-fourth of 1% of the number of registered voters. Thanks to Brian Irving for this news.

One-fourth of 1% of the number of registered voters currently is 15,327 valid signatures. However, the tally that will be used for the calculation, should this bill be signed into law, will be in the spring of 2012, so the number by then would probably be slightly higher, as voter registration continues to increase. A good guess is 16,000 signatures. UPDATE: the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing is set for 9 a.m. on Thursday, July 28.

Des Moines Register Carries Op-Ed Advocating Independent Members of the Federal Election Commission

Posted on by July 23, 2011
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The July 23 print edition of the Des Moines Register carries this op-ed by Jacqueline Salit, President of Independent Voting (also known as the Committee for a Unified Independent Party). It suggests that President Obama should appoint two members of the Federal Election Commission who are neither Democrats nor Republicans.

Maine Legislature Likely to Repair Public Funding Law

Posted on by July 22, 2011
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According to this story, the Maine legislature is very likely to fix the constitutional flaw in the state’s public funding law for candidates, when the legislature convenes next year. The part of the public funding law that allows extra public funding for publicly funded candidates who have well-financed private opponents was held unconstitutional a few weeks ago. That part can be removed, without eliminating the entire program.

All Briefs Will be Filed in Washington State Top-Two Case by August 25

Posted on by July 22, 2011
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The 9th circuit has set an August 11 deadline for briefs to be filed by the state of Washington, and by its ally, the Washington State Grange, in the pending lawsuit against the top-two system. Rebuttal briefs by the Democratic, Republican and Libertarian Parties will then be due August 25. Then we will wait for the court to set a date for oral argument, which will probably be toward the end of 2011.