California, like most states, charges filing fees for candidates. The California fee is 2% of the annual salary for statewide office, and 1% for U.S. House and state legislature. On May 20, the state commission that sets salaries for partisan elected officials lowered those salaries by 18%, effective with the 2010 election. See this article. Current legislative pay for state legislators is $116,208, so the filing fee in 2008 was $1,162. However, in 2010 the salary will be $95,291, so the fee will be $952.

On May 19, the Nevada legislature passed SB 162, which moves the primary from August to June. The bill also moves the petition deadline for non-presidential independent candidates from May to March, which might be challenged some day as an unconstitutionally early deadline. However, no non-presidential independent candidate in Nevada ever needs more than 250 valid signatures.

On July 14, California will fill the vacant U.S. House seat, 32nd district. The three ballot-listed candidates will be Democrat Judy Chu, Republican Betty Chu, and Libertarian Christopher Agrella.

California held an election in this seat on May 19, under blanket primary rules (California partisan special elections always use blanket primary rules). No one got 50% on May 19, so the top vote-getter from each party advances to the run-off. The May 19 ballot included 8 Democrats, 3 Republicans, and one Libertarian. The 32nd district seat is vacant because incumbent Hilda Solis had accepted an appointment into President Obama’s cabinet.