New York Bill to Move Presidential Primary from April to Late June

Posted on by January 15, 2023
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Two New York Democratic State Senators, James Skoufis and Brad Hoylman, have introduced SB 437. It would move the New York presidential primary from April to late June, so that the primary for other office would be combined with the presidential primary.

Ironically, if the bill were enacted, it would conflict with Republican and Democratic national rules, which do not permit presidential primaries later than the first week of June.

In 2020, New York held presidential primaries in late June, and the national parties overlooked the rules transgression. New York had cancelled its presidential primaries in 2020, but then the state courts had ruled the cancellation was unlawful, so they were held late.

New Hampshire Bill for Closed Primaries

Posted on by January 15, 2023
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New Hampshire Representatives Mike Moffett and Joseph Guthrie have introduced HB 101, which would close New Hampshire primaries. Currently New Hampshire has semi-closed primaries. Independents are free to choose any primary ballot at the primary polls, but must declare themselves members (even if very temporarily) of the party whose primary ballot they chose.

New Connecticut Registration Data

Posted on by January 14, 2023
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Connecticut is the only state that has registration by party which won’t release any state totals, except once in a two-year election cycle. Connecticut only releases registration totals by party in October of even-numbered years.

When the Connecticut Secretary of State released data for October 2022, for minor parties, an error was made and the totals for the minor parties were far below the true figures. But, because they were official, Ballot Access News used them in the chart in the December 1, 2022 issue. The erroneous figures were: Libertarian 97; Green 241; Constitution (Concerned Citizens) 44; Working Families 26; Independent Party 3,649; Socialist 151; Forward 8; Socialist Action 8; Socialism & Liberation 7; Socialist Workers 2.

The correct figures are: Griebel Frank for Ct. 8; Independent Party 30,947; Working Families 304; Libertarian 3,351; Green 1,251; other minor parties (not broken down) 156.

The Secretary of State released the new corrected figures on November 7, 2022, but BAN only recently learned about them, thanks to Jim Palmer.

The national totals for the two largest minor parties should have been published as: Libertarian 736,119; Green 235,130.