On April 13, the California Senate passed SB 437. It requires qualified parties to notify the state of the identity of their presidential and vice-presidential nominees by 75 days before the general election. Depending on the calendar, this would be between August 19 and August 25 of the election year. The bill says if the party hasn’t yet chosen its presidential nominee, it must identify the “apparent” nominees.

At least one of the two major parties held a presidential nominating convention on a date after the bill’s deadline, in 1996, 2004, 2008, and 2012. In 2008 and 2012, both major party national conventions were later than the bill’s deadline. But it is generally possible to know who the conventions will nominate, before the conventions actually meet.

Current California law does not set a deadline for qualified parties to identify their presidential and vice-presidential nominees.

On April 10, the North Dakota legislature passed SCR 4013. It says that initiatives that change the state constitution must pass twice, in the primary election in June and again in the general election.

On April 13, the Iowa House Ways & Means Committee passed HB 716 (formerly known as HSB 245). It says that presidential caucuses, which are run by political parties, cannot use mail ballots. All votes must be cast by people who are physically present. It also says no party can allow anyone to vote who has not been a registered member of that party for 70 days.

All Republicans on the committee voted for the bill, and all Democrats voted against it. The Iowa Democratic Party had not completely settled on what it wants to do, but it had been tentatively planning to allow mail ballots in its caucuses.