Kansas House Bill 2516 appears unlikely to pass this year. It raises the number of signatures for a statewide independent candidate from 5,000 to 2% of the last gubernatorial vote, which is over 20,000 signatures. Although it passed the House last month, it has been sitting in a Senate Committee for over three weeks, with no hearing. This suggests that it will not advance further.
On March 20, the Idaho legislature passed SB 1244. It expands the zone around polling places in which petitioning and other types of speech about the election is prohibited.
Meanwhile, the case against Wyoming’s 250 feet zone is pending in the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court has not yet set a date to consider whether to hear the case. Lee v Frank, 23-901.
On March 21, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, said he will not seek re-election as a Democrat this year. But if he is exonerated of criminal charges during the next few months, he may run for re-election as an independent The petition deadline for that is in early June, and 800 signatures are needed. See this story.
The North Dakota Secretary of State today announced that the Libertarian Party’s party petition in North Dakota, requiring 7,000 signatures of eligible North Dakota voters has been found to have a sufficient number of valid signatures. Therefore, the Libertarian Party presidential ticket, and possible other Libertarian candidates, will be on the November 2024 General Election ballot in that state. Thanks to LPND Chair Taylor Bakken for the news, and thanks to Andy Jacobs for his petitioning on that drive.
On March 21, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said he might seek the No Labels Party presidential nomination this year. See here.
