Florida Bill Would Force Democratic Party to Choose a New Name for Itself

Posted on by March 1, 2023
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Florida Senator Blaise Ingoglia (R-Spring Hill) has introduced SB 1248. It would cancel the party recognition of any political party that had ever supported slavery. If it were enacted, the Democratic Party could get back on the ballot only by choosing a new name. Also it would lose all its registrants and need to start from zero. See this story. Thanks to Eric Wong for the link.

Ironically, in 2019 a Democratic State Senator introduced a bill in California, SB 696, that would have removed the American Independent Party from the ballot unless it changed its name. It passed the legislature, but Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed it.

Bob Richards, 1984 Populist Party Presidential Nominee, Dies

Posted on by March 1, 2023
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On February 26, Bob Richards died at the age of 97. He had been a Gold Medalist in the Olympics of 1952 and 1956 in pole vaulting, and he had been the Populist Party’s presidential nominee in 1984. He had polled 66,366 votes, and had been on the ballot in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. His best showing had been in Idaho, where he only appeared on the ballot because the Populist Party won its ballot access lawsuit in the Ninth Circuit.

The Populist Party was a new party in 1984, and ceased to run candidates after 1994, although its monthly newspaper still is published. The other two men nominated for president by the Populist Party, David Duke in 1988 and Bo Gritz in 1992, are still living.

Washington, D.C. Ordinance for Non-Citizen Voting in Local Elections Survives

Posted on by February 28, 2023
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In November 2022, the Washington, D.C. city council passed an ordinance letting adult residents vote for city office, whether they are citizens or not. Congress may veto ordinances passed by the D.C. city council, but this ordinance survived. Although the US House voted to cancel it, the Senate did not, and the period for congress to have done that expired February 23, 2023.

Minnesota Legislative Hearing on Restrictive Ballot Access Bill is Cancelled

Posted on by February 28, 2023
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The Minnesota Senate State and Local Government had been scheduled to hear testimony on SF 1827 on Tuesday, February 28. However, the hearing was cancelled at the last moment. In anticipation of the bill, though, a press conference organized by minor parties got some publicity. See this story.

The bill would have stiffened the definition of a qualified party from a group that got 5% at either of the last two elections, to 10%.

UPDATE: the news story has a link to a video of the press conference, which is worth watching. It lasts about 35 minutes.

Arkansas Ballot Access Bill Fails to Pass Senate Committee

Posted on by February 28, 2023
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On February 28, the Arkansas Senate Judiciary Committee considered SB 277, the bill to improve ballot access for new and minor parties. The bill received four “yes” votes, but because there was one “No” vote, and because two members of the committee were absent, the bill didn’t move ahead. Arkansas legislative rules require bills to receive a majority of the committee members, so if someone doesn’t vote, that is the same as a “no” vote. The committee has eight members so five votes are needed.

Probably the bill will be brought up again. The Secretary of State supports the bill.