A House sponsor has been found for the Pennsylvania Voter’s Act. He is Representative Eugene DePasquale (D-York). The bill has already been introduced in the Senate as SB 21. In the Senate, the bill’s sponsor is a Republican, Senator Mike Folmer. Having sponsors in both houses, and having one sponsor be a Republican and the other a Democrat, is advantageous for the bill.

The bill would decrease the number of signatures for independent candidates. For minor parties, it would let them nominate by convention, with no petitions needed, if they had approximately 4,500 registered members.

On February 11, the Federal Election Commission filed this response in the U.S. Supreme Court, in Cao v Federal Election Commission, 10-776. The Court hasn’t yet decided whether to hear this case. The Republican Party argues that it should have been allowed to partially coordinate with one of its nominees, former Congressman Joseph Cao, last year. Federal Campaign laws restrict party spending in congressional elections to a greater extent than it restricts the spending of any other groups. Thanks to Justin Levitt for the link.

On February 11, Tennessee State Senator Stacey Campfield (R-Knoxville) introduced SB 617, to govern how political parties can qualify for the general election ballot. The bill requires 2,500 signatures, and says that newly-qualifying parties would nominate by convention, not primary.

Senator Campfield had earlier this year introduced another ballot access bill for newly qualifying parties, SB 129, but it only lowered the petition from 2.5% of the last gubernatorial vote, to 1% of the last gubernatorial vote, and did not solve other problems, such as the early petition deadline and wording on the petition that implies signers are members of the party.

The old law was declared unconstitutional last year, so it is likely that some bill on this subject will pass the legislature this year. Thanks to Tony Wall for the news.