Indiana Representative Ryan Dvorak (D-South Bend) has introduced HB 1632, to ease the petition requirements for independent candidates and the nominees of unqualified parties. They would go from 2% of the last vote for Secretary of State, to 250 signatures, or 2%, whichever is less.
New Mexico Representatives Kathleen Cates (D-Rio Rancho) and Jason Harper (R-Rio Rancho) have introduced HB 347. It eases petition requirements for the nominees of qualified parties, and independent candidates, and candidates running in a major party primary.
Current independent petition requirements in New Mexico are among the most severe in the nation, 2% of the last gubernatorial vote (except independent presidential candidates need one-half of 1%). No state has a more severe independent requirement for statewide candidates, except Alabama’s 3% for non-presidential independent candidates. The bill lowers the independent requirements to 1,000 for statewide office, 500 for U.S. House, 100 for State Senate, and 50 for State House and county office.
The bill also eliminates the need for candidates in primaries who have their party’s endorsement to submit any petitions. And for primary candidates who don’t have their party’s endorsement, the bill lowers the petition from 3% of that party’s last vote, to the same 1,000 signatures for statewide office, 500 for U.S. House, 100 for State Senate, and 50 for State House, as apply to independent candidates.
Finally, the bill eases the petition requirements for nominees of qualified minor parties. New Mexico qualified minor parties nominate by convention, and New Mexico is the only state that requires convention nominees of qualified parties to submit any petitions at all. The bill lowers them from 1% of the last gubernatorial vote, to the same 1,000/500/100/50 described above.
On February 16, it was revealed that California Congressmember Barbara Lee has filed with the Federal Election Commission to run for U.S. Senate from California in 2024. Already two other California Democrats had declared for that seat, Adam Schiff and Katie Porter. A possible fourth Democratic contender is Congressmember Ro Khanna.
If four Democratic congressmembers run in the California top-two primary, that opens the possibility that none of the Democrats would place first or second, if there are two Republicans who run and who both have substantial support. In 2012, in the 31st U.S. House district, a district which was predominently Democratic, two Republicans and four Democrats ran, and the two Republicans placed first and second because the four Democrats split up the Democratic vote.
If two Republicans ended up on the November 2024 California ballot for U.S. Senate, and with no write-in space on that ballot, disenfranchsing Democrats, that would be the end of the top-two system in California. Democrats would go all-out to repeal it.
At the November 2022 election, there were 56 minor party and independent candidates for federal or state office who received more votes than the margin of victory, according to Ballotpedia. Most of the candidates were running for state legislature. See here. Thanks to Thomas Jones for this news.
Missouri State Senator Sandy Crawford (R-Buffalo) has introduced SB 102. It would require initiative circulators to be registered voters in Missouri. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1999 in Buckley v American Constitutional Law Foundation that states cannot require circulators to be registered voters. Thanks to Ken Bush for the news about SB 102.
