According to this news story, the Hawaii state government seems to have found a way to pay for the likely special election for U.S. House. The story isn’t very clear but seems to say the state found $1,300,000 after discovering an accounting error. Thanks to Bill Van Allen for the link.
On January 12, the New Hampshire House Election Law Committee heard testimony on HB 1264, which would improve ballot access for minor parties. The Committee will vote on the bill on January 26. It sets the petition for a ballot-qualified party at exactly 5,000 signatures. The existing requirement is 20,394 valid signatures (3% of the last gubernatorial vote). The bill also alters the vote test for a party to remain on the ballot, from 4%, to 2%, although parties that poll 2% but under 4% would nominate by convention, not primary. Alternatively, a group with 3,000 registered members would also be a qualified party.
Testifying in favor were the state chair of the Libertarian Party, and the New Hampshire COFOE (Coalition for Free & Open Elections) representative, and a group from Dartmouth College that studied the issue. The Secretary of State’s office suggested that elections officials might have trouble if there were ever as many as five qualified parties.
The Committee also heard testimony on HB 1188, a bill which slightly eases the petition for new parties. HB 1188 has the support of the Secretary of State. It changes the petition from 3% of the last gubernatorial vote to 1.5% of the number of registered voters.
On January 13, the state central committee of the American Independent Party (Keyes faction) held a conference call meeting, and voted overwhelmingly to tell the California Secretary of State that the party no longer wishes independents to vote in its primaries for public office. Attendance was 27 people. California election law lets each party decide for itself whether to let independents vote in its primaries for public office. The AIP had been the only ballot-qualified party, other than the Democratic and Republican Parties, to let independents vote in any of its primaries for public office.
On January 13, the New Hampshire House passed HB 341, which deals with the state’s presidential primary. New Hampshire law already requires the Secretary of State to schedule the presidential primary at least seven days before any other state’s presidential primary. The bill specifies that the New Hampshire presidential primary should also be at least seven days earlier than any other state’s caucus. However, the bill exempts the Iowa caucus, which traditionally is earlier than the New Hampshire presidential primary. Thanks to Tony Roza for this news.
On January 12, Miami, Florida, held a special election to fill the vacant City Commissioner position, district 5. The voters elected Michelle Spence-Jones. The election is non-partisan.
The voters had also elected Spence-Jones in the last regular election for this seat, but Governor Charlie Crist had removed her from office last year. The Florida Constitution permits a Governor to remove an elected local official from office. The Governor has indicated he will remove her again. but Spence-Jones has filed a lawsuit to keep her seat. See this story.
