HB 31 Stacy, Dan
HB 31 -- POLITICAL PARTY PRIMARY ELECTIONS
SPONSOR: Stacy
This bill provides that no person shall be entitled to vote in a primary election of an established political party unless their voter registration establishes affiliation with said party.
Registered voters must select their party affiliation before the 23rd Tuesday before the party primary election in order to select that party's ballot at the primary election. Any person not previously registered in this state must select their party affiliation by the fourth Wednesday prior to the primary election in order to select that party's ballot at the primary election.
Voters voting absentee by mail will be sent the ballot that corresponds to the established political party with which the voter is affiliated according to their registration by the election authority. Any voter that is unaffiliated will receive an unaffiliated ballot.
Any person who files a declaration of candidacy or is selected by a party nominating committee as a candidate in a primary election must be affiliated with that political party as evidenced by their voter registration. Anyone who files a declaration of candidacy as an independent candidate or as the candidate of a new political party must be unaffiliated with an established party as evidences by their voter registration.
Nineteen weeks prior to the primary election date the Secretary of State shall distribute a list of eligible voters for each political party to local election authorities.
Any political party entitled to ballot access is allowed to exempt itself from a closed primary and conduct a party caucus at its own expense.
The state shall pay the costs of implementing and providing notice of the closed primary system.
Provisions of this bill have a January 1, 2024, delayed effective date.