Various Changes For Access To Ballot By Candidates

The bill makes various changes to the laws governing access to the ballot. Section 1 prohibits a designated election official from certifying to the ballot the name of any candidate who the designated election official determines is unqualified to hold office. For a political party candidate seeking to petition onto a ballot, section 2 moves up the deadline by which the petition must be filed. Section 3 allows a petition for nominating a school district director to designate or appoint eligible electors who comprise a vacancy committee. Section 5 adds, to the laws applying to vacancies in nominations, a process by which a vacancy in a school district director nomination is filled by such vacancy committee and specifies how the coordinated election official must proceed given the timing of the original nominee's vacancy. Currently, each petition to nominate a candidate must have attached to it a notarized affidavit executed by the petition circulator. Section 4 directs the secretary of state to establish by rule a process that allows a circulator 5 days to cure a rejected affidavit. Section 5 reorganizes and amends the laws pertaining to withdrawals and vacancies in nominations and designations. Sections 6 through 12 make conforming amendments necessitated by the statutory reorganization effected in section 4.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)