Tennessee Ballot Access Reform Defeated in Senate Committee

On April 3, the Tennessee State & Local Government Committee defeated SB288. All three Democrats were opposed, as was one Republican, so the bill only had three votes, and four were needed. It is now very likely that a lawsuit will be filed to overturn the Tennessee law on how new parties get on the ballot. It is so restrictive, it has not been used since 1968. Tennessee is in the 6th circuit, so Tennessee is bound by the 2006 decision of the 6th circuit called Libertarian Party of Ohio v Blackwell. That decision struck down an Ohio law on the same subject that was more lenient, and had been used more often, than the Tennessee law.

Arkansas Ballot Access Bills Signed into Law

On April 3, the Governor of Arkansas signed HB2367 and HB2353. The first bill gives the state its first statutory procedures for independent presidential candidates (a petition of 1,000 signatures). The latter bill reduces the number of signatures needed for a new party to 10,000, but decreases the amount of time to get the signatures from 150 days to 60 days.