Minnesota Legalizes Recreational Marijuana

Posted on by May 31, 2023
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On May 30, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed the bill legalizing recreational marijuana. Normally BAN would not post this type of news, but it is relevant to this website because Minnesota has recently had two ballot-qualified third parties that made this their number one issue. Minnesota becomes the 23rd state with legal recreational marijuana.

There is still a federal ban and the Legal Marijuana Now Party, which is still on the ballot, is keen to work on doing what it can against the federal ban, which obviously relates to congressional elections.

Oklahoma Legislature Adjourns Without Passing Many Election Law Bills

Posted on by May 30, 2023
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On May 26, the Oklahoma legislature adjourned. It did not pass any significant election law bills.

Bills that failed to pass were: (1) SB 518, which would have specified that initiative and referendum petitions must be signed by voters who use their “legal” name and which would have charged a filing fee of up to $750 before an initiative could start to circulateo; (2) SB 568, which would have repealed the straight-ticket device; (3) SB 288, which would have reduced the number of signatures needed on petitions in lieu of the filing fee.

Legal Marijuana Now Party May Change its Name in Minnesota

Posted on by May 30, 2023
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According to this story, the Legal Marijuana Now Party, the only ballot-qualified third party in Minnesota, may change its name. The budget bill passed earlier this month raised the vote test from 5% to 8%, but that change doesn’t take effect until after the November 2024 election, so the party is on the ballot for 2024.

Minnesota law explicitly lets qualified parties change their name. Many other states have allowed qualified parties to change their name, but in most states, there is no law on that subject, and election officials issue administrative rulings on that question when it arises.

Alberta Provincial Election

Posted on by May 30, 2023
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On May 29, the Canadian province of Alberta held a provincial election. Here is the wikipedia page. The United Conservative Party won 60 seats; the New Democratic Party won 23 seats; two independents were elected; two seats are still vacant.

In the last election, in 2019, the two major parties of Alberta won all the seats.

The page will eventually be updated to include the share of the popular vote for each party that contested the election. The party that had the third most nominees was the Green Party, with 41 candidates out of the 87 seats.

May 2023 Ballot Access News Print Edition

Posted on by May 29, 2023
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Ballot Access News
May 2023 – Volume 38, Number 12

This issue was printed on white paper.

Table of Contents

  1. MONTANA BALLOT ACCESS SAVED
  2. ARKANSAS BALLOT ACCESS BILL SIGNED
  3. ARIZONA BALLOT MEASURE THAT PROTECTS PARTIES
  4. MINNESOTA BALLOT ACCESS HOPE
  5. MISSISSIPPI INITIATIVE STILL DEFUNCT
  6. BALLOT ACCESS BILLS
  7. PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY AND CAUCUS BILLS
  8. OTHER BILLS
  9. LAWSUITS
  10. 2024 PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY QUALIFICATION DEADLINES
  11. BALLOT ACCESS FOR 2024 REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES
  12. FORWARD PARTY ON FLORIDA BALLOT
  13. KEYSTONE PARTY CANDIDATES RECEIVE SETTLEMENT OF $91,000 FOR EXCLUSION FROM PUBLIC PARK
  14. FOUR GROUPS ASK U.S. SUPREME COURT TO HEAR NEW YORK BALLOT ACCESS CASE
  15. NATIONAL CONVENTIONS SET
  16. SOUTH CAROLINA LABOR PARTY CHANGES ITS NAME
  17. GALLUP POLL SHOWS FEWER VOTERS IDENTIFY WITH TWO MAJOR PARTIES
  18. ALICE KELSEY, LONG-TIME COFOE TREASURER, DIES
  19. SUBSCRIBING TO BAN WITH PAYPAL