The New Hampshire House is scheduled to vote on SB 36 on Tuesday, March 27. The bill abolishes the straight-ticket device and gives the state an office-group ballot. If the bill passes (and it is expected to), this will likely make it easier for HB 48 to pass. HB 48 lowers the vote test for a party to remain on the ballot from 4% to 2%. Secretary of State Bill Gardner, who is very influential, has already testified that if SB 36 passes, he would have no objection to HB 48.
Doug Bailey, chief spokesperson for Unity08, is interviewed in the March 26 issue of the San Francisco Chronicle. Unity08 now has 42,000 Delegates. The delegates will choose a presidential and vice-presidential candidate in June 2008. See here for the interview.
The Republican Party’s national convention in 2008 will nominate candidates for president and vice-president so late (September 3 or September 4) that the party will be unable to comply with state election laws in four states. Alabama, California, Illinois and Montana require parties to certify their national ticket earlier than that. However, the Illinois bill to move the primary from March to February contains a provision easing the deadline. Since the bill to move the Illinois primary is expected to pass, that will solve the Republican Party’s problem in that state. The Illinois bill is HB 426, and it will probably pass the House in the coming week.
Senator Ron Calderon, chair of the California Senate Elections Committee, has introduced SB 439. It would provide that when write-ins are being counted, the intent of the voter should prevail, even if the voter casting the write-in vote didn’t follow all the instructions. This bill would assist write-in candidates in elections that use optical scan ballots (i.e., ballots which ask voters to fill in an oval or complete an arrow).
The New Mexico legislature adjourned for the year on March 17. Bills to legalize fusion, to pass the National Popular Vote Plan, and to abolish straight-ticket voting, all failed to make any headway.
