Source: Ballot Access News

On April 24, the Montana Senate passed HB 120, which now goes to the Governor. This is the Secretary of State’s omnibus election law bill, and it includes two ballot access improvements: (1) moving the non-presidential independent deadline from March to May; (2) eliminating a restriction on who can be an independent presidential or vice-presidential candidate. Montana becomes the second state, after Virginia, in Read more »

Source: Ballot Access News

On April 24, the Montana House passed HB 120, the Secretary of State’s omnibus election law bill. It has two ballot access improvements: (1) it moves the independent candidate petition deadline (for office other than President) from March to May; (2) it makes it clear that the law, barring independent candidates from the ballot if they had too close an association with any political party, doesn’t apply to actions taken outside Read more »

Source: Ballot Access News

On April 17, the Montana House passed SB 408, which says there will be a popular vote in November 2014 on whether Montana should switch from an open primary to a top-two primary. The bill passed 57-43. All Democrats, and four Republicans, voted “No.” Now the bill goes back to the Senate.

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Source: Ballot Access News

Minor party activists are working very hard to influence state legislators in at least four states, to either support bills for easier ballot access, or to oppose bills that make it worse.

In Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Ballot Access Committee recently e-mailed every state legislator. Also Constitution Party activists recently met with the Senator who Read more »

Source: Ballot Access News

On April 15, the Montana House Administration Committee heard testimony on SB 408, and passed it. This is the bill to ask the voters in 2014 if they want to establish a top-two primary. The bill passed 12-7, on a party line vote, with all Republicans voting “Yes” and all Democrats voting “No.” The state chair of the Republican Party testified in favor of the bill. Read more »

Source: Ballot Access News

The Montana House Administration Committee will hold a hearing on SB 408 on April 15. This is the bill to ask the voters in 2014 if they wish to put a top-two primary system into place. The same committee resoundingly defeated another top-two bill earlier this year.

Source: Ballot Access News

On April 8, the Montana Senate passed HB 120, the Secretary of State’s omnibus election law bill which contains two ballot access improvements. But because other parts of the bill had been amended in the Senate, the bill must now return to the House. The two ballot access improvements are: (1) moving the independent non-presidential petition deadline from March to May; (2) letting independent presidential and vice-presidential Read more »

Source: Ballot Access News

Democrats in the Montana legislature are determined to block two election law bills, even though Democrats are in the minority in each house. See this story, which explains the maneuver. Democrats want to block SB 408, the bill to ask the voters if they want a top-two primary. They also want to block SB 405, which would ask the voters to repeal same-day voter registration. Read more »

Source: Ballot Access News

On April 4, the Montana Senate passed SB 408 by a vote of 28-22. This is the bill to provide that in 2014, the voters will be asked if they want a top-two primary system. All Republicans voted for the bill except for one; all Democrats voted against it. Thanks to Mike Fellows for this news.

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Source: Ballot Access News

On April 3, the Montana Senate State Administration Committee passed HB 120, which makes two ballot access improvements. It permits independent presidential and vice-presidential candidates to be on the November ballot, even if they had some association with a qualified political party in the preceding period; (2) it moves the non-presidential independent petition deadline from March to May. Read more »