PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATING PROCESS THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 1986 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON HOUSE ADMINISTRATION, Washington, DC. The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 9:30 a.m., in room 311, Cannon House Office Building, Hon. Al Swift (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Present: Representatives Swift, Thomas, and Frenzel. Staff present: Karl J. Sandstrom, elections counsel; Kathryn Erickson Jarvis, staff director; and Kathee McCright, senior legislative analyst/elections (minority). (1) I 99TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 251 To establish a series of six regional Presidential primaries at which the public may express its preference for the nomination of an individual for election to the Office of President of the United States. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JANUARY 3, 1985 Mr. BENNETT introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration A BILL To establish a series of six regional Presidential primaries at which the public may express its preference for the nomination of an individual for election to the Office of President of the United States. 1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 3 That this Act may be cited as the "Regional Presidential 4 Primaries Act of 1985". 5 SEC. 2. The Congress finds that— (1) the numerous elections held by States for the expression of a preference for the nomination of indi viduals for election to the Office of President of the 2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 United States assist democracy but are not conducted with sufficient coordination, (2) the conventions held by national political parties for the purpose of nominating candidates for election to the Offices of President and Vice President are vital to the process of selecting such candidates for national office, and (3) in order to preserve an effective and democratic process in Presidential elections and to provide for the public welfare of the Nation, Congress must regu late certain parts of the process for selecting candidates to the Office of President. SEC. 3. (a) No State shall conduct a Presidential pri14 mary except in accordance with the provisions of this Act. 15 (b) Six regional Presidential primaries shall be held 16 during each Presidential election year. The first regional pri17 mary shall be held on the last Tuesday in March, and the 18 remaining five regional primaries shall be held on the second 19 and fourth Tuesdays in April and May, and on the second 20 Tuesday in June, respectively. On the last Tuesday in Octo21 ber in each year immediately preceding a Presidential elec22 tion year, the Commission shall determine by lot the date on 23 which each regional Presidential primary is to be held. A 24 State may not hold a Presidential primary on a date other HR 251 IH 3 1 than the date assigned by the Commission to the region in 2 which such State is located. 3 (c) A State which conducts a Presidential primary shall 4 conduct that primary in accordance with laws of the State 5 with the following exceptions: (1) Each voter shall be eligible to vote only for a candidate for nomination by the party of that voter's registered affiliation, or if a State provides for registration as an independent, a voter registered as an independent may vote only for one candidate for nomination by a party with which such voter is not affiliated. If the law of any State makes no provision for the registration of voters by party affiliation, voters in that State shall register their party affiliation in accordance with procedures prescribed by the Attorney General in consultation with the Federal Elections Commission. (2) Each ballot in an election for the selection of delegates to a national nominating convention of a national political party shall indicate the candidate of such party, if any, for whom each individual seeking the position of delegate is committed to vote at such convention. If an individual seeking the position of del egate is not committed to vote for any candidate, the ballot shall indicate that such individual is uncom mitted. HR 251 IH 4 1 (d) Whenever the Attorney General has reason to be2 lieve that a State is holding a Presidential primary in viola 3 tion of the provisions of this section, he may bring a civil 4 action in any appropriate United States district court for such 5 relief as may be appropriate, including injunctive relief. 6 SEC. 4. In order to be eligible to receive any payments 7 under section 9037 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, a 8 candidate of a political party in a Presidential primary shall, 9 in writing (1) agree to have his name entered on the ballot of at least one State primary in each of the six regions established by this Act; and (2) notify the Commission, not later than the last Presidential primary filing date within a particular region, which primary he intends to enter within that region. SEC. 5. For purposes of this Act, the term— (1) "candidate" means an individual who seeks nomination for election to be President of the United States; (2) "Commission" means the Federal Election Commission; (3) "Presidential primary" means an election for the expression of a preference for the nomination of individuals for election to the Office of President of the HR 251 IH |