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1997 SESSION

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HB 1951 Primary elections; voter registration by political party.

Introduced by: Jay Katzen | all patrons    ...    notes | add to my profiles

SUMMARY:

Primary elections; voter registration by political party. Adds party affiliation to the information that an applicant is asked to provide when registering to vote. The applicant may indicate that he is an independent. The bill requires the State Board of Elections, in January 1998, to notify all registered voters of the new party registration law and send them a return card to indicate their party affiliation or independent status. Voters may change their party affiliation or independent status by written notice at any time except the 28 days before an election when the registration records are closed. The state party chairman must notify the State Board by January 31 of each year whether the party will close its primaries and permit only registered party members to participate or whether it will open its primary to party members and independent voters. Further, the bill (i) adds a requirement that primary candidate petitions must be signed by voters registered as members of the party conducting the primary, (ii) sets the required number of petition signatures at one percent of the number of voters registered as members of the party in the election district where the primary is being held, and (iii) allows an official political party to retain that status so long as at least 15 percent of the Commonwealth's registered voters are registered as members of that party.


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