Three interesting Hawaii election law bills have passed both houses of the legislature, but none of them is through the legislature yet because the two Houses disagree with each other on details of the bills.
This is true for the bill to establish a presidential primary (SB 1005); the bill to change order of candidates on the ballot from alphabetical to random (SB 47); and the bill to replace “disobedient” presidential electors (SB 141).
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 12, the Connecticut Joint Committee on Government Administration & Elections passed SB 6908 unanimously. It moves the 2024 presidential primary from the last Tuesday in April to the first Tuesday in April.
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.
On March 26, the ballot-qualified Labor Party changed its name to the South Carolina Workers’ Party. South Carolina allows qualified parties to change their names. The party has been on the ballot in South Carolina starting in 1996. It has never run a presidential nominee. Thanks to Scott West for this news. See the party’s facebook page.
