On March 9, the Colorado House Judiciary Committee passed HB 1299, the National Popular Vote Plan bill.
Reply
Arkansas Representative Richard Carroll has introduced HB 1863, which requires that candidate debates must invite all candidates on the ballot, if the debate “takes place at a facility or site that was purchased or is maintained thru public funds; or is otherwise funded in whole or in part through public funds.” The bill has a hearing on March 11 at 10 a.m. in Room 151 of the Capitol. This is the same hearing at which Carroll’s ballot access bill will also be heard (the meeting of the House State Agencies & Governmental Affairs Committee). Thanks to Independent Political Report for this news.
On November 9, a lower state court in Illinois construed state election law to mean that homeless people cannot run for public office. Fore v Village of Oak Park Electoral Board, 09-coel-0029, Cook County. The homeless candidate, Daniel Fore, is appealing. The lower court said the declaration of candidacy requires a fixed residence address.
If the State Appeals Court and the Illinois Supreme Court uphold this construction of state law, then the candidate will probably file a federal lawsuit, charging the state law violates the U.S. Constitution. The U.S. Supreme Court many decades ago invalidated property requirements for candidates to run for public office.
The Arkansas House State Agencies & Governmental Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on HB 1247 on March 11, Wednesday, at 10 a.m., in Room 151 of the Capitol. HB 1247 changes the definition of “political party” from a group that got 3% for the office at the top of the ticket (president or governor, depending on which year it was) to 3% for any statewide office. It is possible a compromise will be reached that expands the list of offices but still doesn’t include all the statewide offices.
The Illinois House Election & Campaign Reform Committee holds a hearing on Tuesday, March 10, at 4 p.m., on two bills that would drastically improve ballot access for minor party and independent candidates. The bills are HB 1012 and HB 2620. Both bills cut the number of signatures.
The hearing will be in the Capitol Building, room 122B.
Both bills reduce the number of signatures for minor party and independent candidates, by keying their requirements to the number of signatures now required for candidates getting on a primary ballot. HB 1012, by Rep. Mike Boland, says the general election petitions should be twice as many signatures as the number now required for primary candidates in the qualified party with the lowest primary petition requirements. HB 2620, by Rep. William Black, says the general election petitions should be equal to the primary petitions of the particular qualified party that has the highest primary requirements.
In Illinois, the number of signatures for a candidate in a primary election varies from qualified party to qualified party, which is why these bills sound so complicated.