On May 30, the Massachusetts Joint Election Laws Committee heard testimony on HB646 and SB446. No one testified against the bills. They would legalize election-day registration. Elections officials from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Maine all testified that it works well in their states. Massachusetts Secretary of State Bill Galvin also testified in favor, although he warned that it would cost money since he wants two additional precinct officials in each precinct, to handle the extra work.
The Idaho Republican Party Central Committee meets June 2 in Burley, Idaho. On the agenda is a proposal to pass a party bylaw, saying only members of the party may vote in its primary. If this bylaw proposal passes, the party would then bring a lawsuit to enforce it.
Congressman Rush Holt (D-NJ) expects a US House of Representatives vote on HR 811 soon after Congress re-convenes on Tuesday, June 5. HR 811 outlaws vote-counting machines that don’t leave a paper trail.
On May 25, North Dakota Secretary of State Al Jaeger announced that he is setting the dates of all party presidential caucuses on February 5. Even though the parties pay for their own caucuses, state law gives the Secretary of State authority to set the dates for their caucuses. Qualified parties in North Dakota are the Republican, Democratic, Libertarian and Constitution Parties.
In 2004, the North Dakota caucuses were also in February, but somewhat later in February.
The Alaska Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) has just started circulating an initiative, for public funding for candidates for state office. The initiative does not discriminate for or against any candidate based on party affiliation. The text of the initiative can be seen here. The non-discriminatory aspect of the Alaska initiative matches the non-discriminatory characteristic of the existing “Clean Elections” laws in Maine and Arizona, but is in contrast to Connecticut’s law.
