Oklahoma State Senator Mary Boren (D-Norman) has introduced SB 568. It would repeal the straight-ticket device. Oklahoma is one of only six states that still has the device. The others are Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and South Carolina.
Oklahoma Senator Julia Kirt (D-Oklahoma City) has introduced SB 288. It eases the petition in lieu of the filing fee. Current law requires a petition of 2% of the number of registered voters for candidates who choose not to pay filing fees. For statewide office, this is 44,502 signatures. The bill would lower the number of signatures to 4,000 for important statewide office, and 2,000 for the less important statewide offices and U.S. House.
Utah Representative Jordan Teuscher (R-South Jordan) has introduced HB 393. It would allow parties to skip primaries for any office for which a party meeting had endorsed one particular candidate, and that candidate received at least 70% of the vote from the delegates. Here is the text.
Bills have been introduced in Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Missouri, and Texas, to have those states join the National Popular Vote Plan Pact.
Alaska: SB 61.
Arizona: SB 1485.
Florida: HB 53.
Missouri: HB 829.
Texas: SB 95 and HB 237.
On February 8, the New Mexico House Government, Elections & Indian Affairs Committee passed HB 4. It provides that every adult citizen-resident known to exist would automatically be registered, unless he or she opted out.
