AN ACT CONCERNING STATE-WIDE RECOGNITION OF MINOR PARTIES FOR PURPOSES OF NOMINATING PETITIONS.

HB 5434 requires that political parties must have received at least 1% of the votes for a specific office in the last election to be recognized for including their designation on candidate nominating petitions. This bill defines a "minor party" as one that is not a major party and whose candidate received at least 1% of the votes for the relevant office in the previous election. It affects candidates and political parties seeking to run under a party label on petitions for state or local offices, ensuring only parties with demonstrated voter support can be listed. The law, effective January 1, 2027, updates the process for applying for nominating petitions to include this threshold requirement.