Iowa’s legislature will probably pass HF 399, which permits people to register at the polls on election day. Iowa’s neighbors Minnesota and Wisconsin have had same-day voter registration for many years, and the perception is that it works well there. Iowa Democrats are supportive of the idea, and hold a majority in both houses of the legislature, and the governorship.
On February 22, the Kansas Senate unanimously passed SB 320, which gives the Secretary of State authority to set the presidential primary date whenever he wishes. The expectation is that the Secretary of State would use this authority (assuming the bill is signed into law) to set a February date in 2008.
On February 13, nine North Carolina Senators introduced SB 168, to move the presidential primary from May to February. The primary for other office would remain in May.
Florida HB 537, the bill to move the presidential primary from March to February, passed the House Economic Expansion Committee on February 22. The vote was 12-0. It had already passed the Elections Committee, and now goes to the House floor.
On February 15, the Montana Senate passed SB 270. It moves the petition deadline for non-presidential independent candidates from the day before the June primary, to 75 days before that primary. That means that independents (running for office other than president) would need to collect all their signatures in winter. The vote in the Senate was 49-1.
