On February 4, both Arkansas bills to improve ballot access for minor parties passed the House State Agencies and Government Affairs Committee. HB 1246 expands the petitioning period for new party petitions from any 60 days to any 90 days. HB 1247 improves the vote test for a party to remain on the ballot from 3% of the vote for the office at the top of the ticket (either President or Governor, depending on which year it was) to 3% for any statewide office at either of the last two elections.

New Mexico Senator Al Park (D-Albuquerque) has introduced HB 299, to provide that candidates seeking a place on a primary ballot may use a filing fee instead of a petition. The bill requires a fee of 4% of the annual salary. However, for state legislative candidates, the filing fee would be $100. The fee for offices that have no salary would be $50.

Two bills to improve ballot access in New York have been introduced. A2651 reduces independent candidate signature requirements in special U.S. House elections. The bill decreases the number of signatures from 3,500 to 1,200. Also it expands the petitioning period in special elections from 12 days to 16 days. The sponsor is Assemblymember Barbara Clark (D-Queens Village).

S355 provides that small errors in all types of petitions should not mean that the petition is invalid, as long as it is obvious that no fraud was intended. The sponsor is Carl Kruger (D-Brooklyn).