HB1156--POLITICALPARTYPRIMARYELECTIONS
SPONSOR: Gragg
Thisbillprovidesthatnopersonwillbeentitledtovoteina
primaryelectionofanestablishedpoliticalpartyunlesstheir
voterregistrationestablishedaffiliationwithsaidpartyatleast
23weekspriortothedateoftheelection.
Undertheprovisionsofthisbill,acandidate,acampaign
committee,orapoliticalpartycommitteecanrequestfromthe
SecretaryofStatethepoliticalpartyaffiliationsofvoterswho
appliedforanabsenteeballot.
Registeredvotersmustselectapartyaffiliationbeforethe23rd
Tuesdaypriortothedateoftheelectioninordertoselectthat
party'sballotattheprimaryelection. Ifavoterchangestheir
partyregistrationwithin23weeksofapartyprimaryelection,
theywillonlybeentitledtovotetheballotofthepartywith
whichtheywereregisteredpriortotheirchangeofregistration.
AnypersonnotpreviouslyregisteredinthisStatecanselecttheir
partyaffiliationbythefourthWednesdaypriortotheprimary
electioninordertoselectthatparty'sballotattheprimary
election.
Votersvotingin-personorabsenteewhoareunaffiliatedwitha
politicalpartywillbeentitledtocastonlyanunaffiliated
ballot.
Anypersonwhofilesadeclarationofcandidacyorisselectedbya
partynominatingcommitteeasacandidateinaprimaryelection
mustbeaffiliatedwiththatpoliticalparty,asevidencedbyhis
orhervoterregistration,nolaterthanthe23weekspriortothe
lastTuesdayinFebruaryimmediatelyprecedingtheprimary
election. Anypersonwhofilesadeclarationofcandidacyasan
independentcandidateorasthecandidateofanewpoliticalparty
mustbeunaffiliatedwithanestablishedparty,asevidencedbyhis
orhervoterregistrationnolaterthanthe23rdTuesdaypriorto
theopeningdateofcandidatefilingfortheprimaryelection.
Nolaterthan19weekspriortotheprimaryelectiondatethe
SecretaryofStatewilldistributealistofeligiblevotersfor
eachpoliticalpartytolocalelectionauthorities. Anypolitical
partyentitledtoballotaccessisallowedtoexemptitselffroma
closedprimaryandconductapartycaucusatitsownexpense. The
Statemustpaythecostsofimplementingandprovidingnoticeof
theclosedprimarysystem. ProvisionsofthisbillhaveaJanuary1,2028,delayedeffective
date.
ThisbillissimilartoHB1410(2024)andHB31(2023).