On March 4, Kentucky HB 141 passed the Senate. HB 141 is the first ballot access improvement bill to pass out of a legislature, so far in 2005. It removes the restriction on petitioning for president in the odd year before an election. It also removes the requirement that minor party and independent candidates for president file any declaration of candidacy in advance of turning in signatures. The bill was backed by the Secretary of State and passed in both houses unanimously.
Connecticut’s Government Administration and Elections Committee (which serves both houses of the legislature) will hear SB 1233 on March 7. The bill creates a petition procedure by which a group can transform itself into a qualified minor party.
If the bill were enacted, any group that circulated a petition signed by 1% of the last vote cast would become a qualified minor party. It could nominate by convention for any or all partisan offices in the state. The Working Families Party initiated this bill.
Connecticut is now one of only 12 states which lacks any procedure for a group to become a qualified party, in advance of any particular election.
Last month, the Prohibition Party became ballot-qualified in Florida. This is the first time the party has been ballot-qualified in any state, since it lost its qualified status in New Mexico in 1992. It’s very easy for a party to become qualified in Florida; it merely submits a list of its state officers. The only hurdle that ballot-qualified parties have in Florida is that each nominee must pay a very high filing fee; however there is no fee to run for president.
On March 3, the Nebraska legislature passed LB53, which lets all ex-felons register to vote, two years after they have completed their sentence. Previously they could not register unless they received a pardon.
In Massachusetts, H77 reduces the number of signatures for minor party and independent presidential candidates from 10,000 to 5,000 signatures; it also eases the burden on submitting such petitions. Also in Massachusetts, H119 makes it easier for a party to remain on the ballot. Currently it must poll 3% for a statewide office in every election. The bill would provide that it only needs to fulfil this vote test every other election. If passed, it would restore the Green and Libertarian Parties to the Massachusetts ballot.
In Texas, HB 1721 would let primary voters sign the petition of a new party or independent candidate. Texas is the only state that won’t let primary voters sign a petition for a new party.
