D.C. Bill to Combine September Primary, and Presidential Primary, in June

Posted on by February 8, 2011
Reply

Washington, D.C., city councilmember Mary Cheh has introduced B19-90, to combine the District of Columbia presidential primary, and the primary for other office, into a single primary. The combined primary would be the second week in June.

Currently, the presidential primary is in January and the primary for other office is in September. The bill has no effect on the independent candidate petition deadlines, which would continue to be in August. Thanks to Josh Putnam for this news.

D.C. is the second jurisdiction which is considering moving its presidential primary to a date that is later than the first week in June. Kentucky has a bill to move the presidential primary to early August. The more places that entertain the idea of a presidential primary later than the first week in June, the more likely it becomes that the Democratic and Republican national committees will re-think their rule that won’t recognize presidential primaries later than the first week in June. In 2012, the Democratic convention doesn’t start until September 3, and the Republican convention doesn’t start until August 27, so it seems irrational to forbid presidential primaries later than the first week in June.

South Dakota Bill to Let Independent Voters Vote in Partisan Primaries

Posted on by February 8, 2011
1

Five Republican state legislators in South Dakota have introduced SB 175, which requires political parties to permit independent voters to vote in their primaries. Currently, state law gives each party the choice of whether to let independents vote in its primaries or not. Only the Democratic and Republican Parties are ballot-qualified, and neither of them now permits independents to vote in their primaries. The bill has a hearing in the Senate Local Government Committee on February 9. UPDATE: the hearing was postponed until February 14.

U.S. Justice Department Clears Congressional Vote Changes in California, Louisiana

Posted on by February 8, 2011
Reply

On February 8, the Voting Rights Section of the U.S. Justice Department approved two election law changes from California and Louisiana. Both states are under section five of the Voting Rights Act. The Department approved California’s redistricting commission for U.S. House elections, a change made by the voters last year. Also the Department approved switching Louisiana congressional elections from closed or semi-closed primaries, to a top-two system in which the first round is in November. Louisiana had used a top-two system for congressional elections between 1978 and 2006 as well, but the legislature had changed it in 2006 to a closed or semi-closed system. Then, in 2010, the legislature changed it back again.

Virginia House Passes Bill Moving Presidential Primary; Bill Doesn't Lower Number of Signatures

Posted on by February 8, 2011
Reply

On February 8, the Virginia House of Delegates passed HB 1843 unanimously. It moves the presidential primary from early February to early March, in accordance with the wishes of the national Democratic and national Republican Parties. Unfortunately the version of the bill that passed does not lower the number of signatures for candidates in presidential primaries from 10,000 to 5,000. Virginia will continue to be the only state that requires all candidates in presidential primaries to submit a petition greater than 5,000 signatures.

Another bill that did reduce the number of signatures, and also moved the primary from February to March, is not the bill that the House passed.