On June 3, North Carolina HB 32 passed the House Election and Administration Committee. It is set for a vote in the House on June 7. The bill lowers the number of signatures for a previously unqualified party from 2% of the last gubernatorial vote (over 85,000 signatures) to one-fourth of 1% of the number of registered voters as of January 1 of the election year (approximately 18,000 signatures). Statewide independent candidate petitions would be the same number of signatures. District and county independent candidates would need a petition of 1% of the number of registered voters.

The bill also lowers the vote test for a party to remain qualified, to one-fourth of 1% of the vote cast for any statewide race. Thanks to Jordon Greene for this news.

Blogging at this site has been very much limited because I am on vacation and e-mail access is very difficult. That vacation will be ended on June 9. Apologies to those whose comments are hung up in moderation, because e-mail access is so bad that I am unable to free those comments.

On May 31, the Maine House voted on LD 804, which would provide that Maine have a unicameral legislature. Although a majority in the House voted for it, it needed two-thirds and did not get that much support. Thanks to Thomas MacMillan for the news.

On June 1, the North Carolina House Elections Committee will hear HB 32, at 2:10 p.m. This is the bill that lowers the number of signatures for minor and new parties, and independent candidates. Thanks to Brian Irving for this news.