Published on the Ballot Access News website May 13th and May 12th respectively. BAN is published by ballot access expert Richard Winger as both a hardcopy monthly newsletter and online publication.
New Idaho Voter Registration Data
As of May 6, 2013, Idaho reports these voter registration figures: Republican 239,002; Democratic 55,254; independent or miscellaneous 439,715; Libertarian 3,156; Constitution 1,500.
Voter registration by party is new in Idaho. It only started in 2012. The tally last year showed far fewer members of parties, since the procedure was new and party totals essentially started from zero. The 2012 figures, for example, only showed 362 Libertarians and 225 Constitution Party members.
Wyoming Constitution Party May Succeed in Qualifying a Statewide Referendum
On March 2, the Wyoming Constitution Party launched a referendum petition, which requires the signatures of 15% of the state’s registered voters, and is due May 28. The exact requirement is 37,606 signatures. The petition would ask for a public vote on SF 104, which the legislature passed in January 2013. SF 104 removes the elected Superintendent of Public Instruction from her position as chair of the state Education Department, and gives the Governor power to appoint someone instead.
The pace of signature collection has greatly improved this month, and there is some reason to belief the petition may succeed. See this story, which was written two weeks ago and does not discuss the pace of petitioning, but which does illustrate the growing support for the referendum. No statewide referendum petition has succeeded in Wyoming since 1996.