Under current Idaho law, there will be no presidential primaries in 2024. However, the State Senate supports a special session to pass a bill to bring back presidential primaries. So far the House hasn’t shown any interest. See this story.
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On September 5, Ohio State Senator Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester) introduced SB 147, which would provide that voter registration forms should ask applicants for a choice of party or independent status, and which would set up closed primaries in Ohio. Many similar bills have been introduced in Ohio over the last decade, and they never pass.
The bill does permit a blank line, so that it would be possible for voters to register into an unqualified party.
On August 29, a New York state trial court in Westchester County put an independent candidate on the ballot for Putnam County Highway Superintendent. Stern v Putnam County Board of Elections, 50372/2023. The candidate had enough signatures but the county board of elections still kept him off the ballot because a form arrived late. The candidate had mailed it to the Board six days before the deadline, but the post office did an inefficient job and it arrived after the deadline. See this story. Thanks to Joe Burns for the case number and name of the case.
On September 5, John Anthony Castro, a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, filed a lawsuit in federal court in Maine, asking that the court determine whether or not former President Donald Trump is eligible under the 14th amendment. Castro already has a similar lawsuit pending in Florida. Here is the Complaint. Castro v Fellows, :23cv-335. Thanks to Shawn L. for this news.
On September 5, the California Senate passed AB 1227. It lets Santa Clara County, the most populous county in northern California, use ranked choice voting for elections for its own officers. However, the bill is still not through the legislature, because the versions passed by the Assembly and State Senate are not identical. The bill will go to a conference committee.