Only six states still print the candidates for presidential elector on November ballots. The most populous of these six states is Arizona, which has ten electoral votes.

Arizona Senator Jack W. Harper (R-Surprise) has introduced SB 1024, which provides that the names of presidential elector candidates would no longer appear on the November ballot. Instead, the ballot would list the names of candidates for President and Vice-President. The existing law does not permit the names of vice-presidential candidates to be printed on the ballot. On February 18, the bill passed second reading in the Senate.

Removing the names of candidates for presidential elector (especially in states with a sizable number of presidential electors) creates a simpler ballot.

On February 19, the 5th circuit asked Louisiana to respond to the Libertarian Party’s latest brief, in the case filed in 2008 over whether Bob Barr should have been on the ballot for President. The party had lost the case in the 5th circuit on January 21, 2010. However, the party had asked then for a rehearing before all the full-time judges of the 5th circuit. The case is Libertarian Party v Dardenne, 09-30307.

This development is good news for the Libertarian Party’s lawsuit. It is unusual for a rehearing request to get any response at all except a denial. The January 21 decision by three judges of the 5th circuit had said the case is moot.

The Connecticut Joint Government Administration & Elections Committee will hear two bills on February 22 that change the rules for public funding of candidates. HB 5021, sponsored by Governor Jodi Rell, repeals the parts of the public funding law that discriminate against independent candidates. HB 5022, sponsored by the Committee, leaves the discriminatory aspects in place, but lowers the number of signatures that independent candidates must submit in order to obtain public funding. HB 5022 says it only goes into effect if the 2nd circuit strikes down the existing law. Thanks to Mike De Rosa for this news.