The ballot access reform legislation is up on the first day of hearings for the House Election Law committee. There are two bills being heard on the 12th which will have a positive impact for minor parties (aka political organizations) in NH.

Both bills, HB1188 and HB1264, will be heard in Room 308 of the Legislative Office Building (that's right behind the Statehouse) in Concord.

At 1:00 pm is HB 1188, relative to nominating a political organization by nomination papers. This would change the party-wide petitioning number from 3% of the last election to 1.5% of registered voters at the last election. This still keeps the relative nature of the right to petition, but thanks to NH's high voter turnout does reduce the number from impossible to theoretically feasible. If the percentage were reduced to say .3% or .15%, then we could talk about real improvement, but this does not make much of a difference in practical terms,
especially for 2010.

At 2:30 pm is HB 1264, relative to the definition of "party" for election purposes. This is the bigger reform, lowering the threshold to stay on the ballot to 2% and setting a flat 5000 signature requirement for party-wide petitioning. It will also make it clear that you can register as whatever political "party" you want and the clerk will accept it.

You don't have to testify for either bill, or even stay for the hearings. If you just want to come in and sign the blue sheets in favor of the bills, that would be a help.