The Wisconsin legislature is probably going to pass a package of bills that will dissolve the State Elections Board. In its place will be a Government Accountability Board, composed of six retired or reserve judges.

Wisconsin has been one of a handful of states in which state election law decisions are made by a bi-partisan body, with particular members representing one of the major parties. Other such states are Illinois, Indiana, New York, and North Carolina. Representation on the Wisconsin Board has been available to any party which polled 10% for Governor, so during the period 2003-2007 there were three parties on the Wisconsin Board (Democratic, Republican and Libertarian). But last month the Board reverted to a bi-partisan body, because no minor party polled 10% for Wisconsin Governor in 2006.

Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed’s office has clarified the intent of his ballot access bills, HB 1534 and SB 5604. They would not require the nominees of unqualified parties, or independent candidates, to run in the primary. That is good news. Unfortunately, the petitions he is proposing require a separate petition for each statewide nominee of an unqualified party. In presidential election years, there can be as many as 8 statewide offices up in Washington state, and the bill would require 8 separate petitions for an unqualified party that wanted to run a full slate of statewide nominees, plus additional petitions for that party’s US House and legislative candidates.

Some of the major party presidential candidates have started making public appearances in Iowa. In particulary, Hillary Clinton just made her first public campaign appearance (as a presidential candidate) in that state. If you have an opportunity for a face-to-face conversation with a leading candidate for the presidential nomination of the major party, please ask that candidate to agree to at least one general election debate (should that candidate by nominated) with the top 4 or 5 general election presidential candidates, not just a two-person general election debate.