Oklahoma and Tennessee legislatures may now be more open to ballot access reform

Ballot Access News reports

As a result of the recent election, the Oklahoma and Tennessee legislatures, for the first time ever, are under Republican control in both houses.

During the last fifteen years, legislatures in both states have considered bills to ease ballot access for minor and new parties. In each case, the bills were introduced by Republican legislators, and the bills were always killed in committee. These legislative committees have always been chaired by Democrats. With control of legislative committees now passing to Republicans, it is plausible that ballot access reform bills have a chance of passing.

More generally,

Most state legislatures have rules, limiting a state legislator to introducing a small number of bills. State legislators are now deciding which bills they will introduce next year. If you are dissatisfied with your state’s ballot access laws, November of even years is the key month to ask state legislators to introduce bills to improve them. December is also appropriate, but it is more difficult to communicate in December, because so many people are away, or distracted by holidays.

Half the battle to getting a law improved is finding a legislative sponsor.

Virtually every state legislature is far more active in odd years than in even years. In a handful of states, notably Texas, legislatures don’t even meet during even years, except for specialized topics. Opportunities thus come only once every two years.