On February 9, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs signed HB 2785, which moves the non-presidential primary from August 6 to July 30. The bill only affects the 2024 election.

Because non-presidential independent candidate petitions are due on the same date that primary candidates must file, the bill automatically moves the non-presidential independent candidate deadline from April 8 to April 1. The bill takes effect immediately. The presidential independent deadline is not affected by the bill.

If U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema intends to file an independent candidate petition this year, she now has even less time in which to do that. She has not said if she is running for re-election.

On February 1, 2024, the State of Texas filed its reply brief to the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in the ongoing litigation concerning that state’s ballot access laws.

Here is the Fifth Circuit Appeals Court Brief from the State of Texas.

Thanks to Oliver Hall for forwarding this brief to us.

On February 8, a federal lawsuit was filed against several Utah laws that make it difficult to qualify initiatives. Are You Listening Yet PAC v Henderson, 2:24cv-104. Among other things, the lawsuit challenges the ban on out-of-state circulators, and the February 15 petiition deadline. The plaintiffs have been circulating an initiative relating to the Utah state flag, and they are asking for injunctive relief to help them qualify that initiative for this year’s ballot. Here is the Complaint.