There are two bills pending in the Arkansas legislature to ease ballot access. Besides the one mentioned yesterday (HB 1247, to make it easier for a party to remain on the ballot), HB 1246 is also pending. It increases the period for circulating a new party petition, from any 60 consecutive days the party chooses, to any 90 days.
Ballot Access News just learned that in 2006, the Arizona legislature decreased the number of signatures required for a new party to get on the ballot in mid-term years. The law before 2006 required a petition of 1.33% of the last vote cast. There are always many more votes cast in presidential years than mid-term years, so this meant that approximately 20,000 signatures were required in presidential years, but 30,000 in midterm years.
Senator Karen Johnson had introduced a bill in 2006 to say the new party petition needs 1.33% of the last gubernatorial vote (so the higher presidential vote would never enter into the calculation). However, her bill failed to pass. But, apparently, another legislator picked up that aspect of the Johnson bill and put it into an omnibus election law bill, and that bill was signed into law. So, the petition for new parties in 2010 will be 20,499 signatures, not 30,480 signatures. Thanks to the Constitution Party of Arizona for making B.A.N. aware of the change.
The January 29 edition of the Arkansas Times has this intriguing story about Richard Carroll, the Green Party’s only current state legislator. He works the night shift at his locomotive repair job, so that he can attend the legislative session during the day.
The January 30 issue of the Concordian, student newspaper for Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, has this op-ed in favor of Instant Runoff Voting for Minnesota. Thanks to Bill Van Allen for the link.
The Christian Science Monitor has this op-ed in its January 30 edition. It advocates that the voters of the United States directly elect the Attorney General.
