Article Analyzes Why National Popular Vote Plan Bill Has Not Passed in New York

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This article in CapitalNewYork analyzes one of the biggest mysteries of the National Popular Vote Plan movement…why the plan has never passed in New York state. The plan has passed in the State Senate in New York (in a previous legislative session) so the conventional wisdom would predict that it would also pass in the Assembly, where Democrats have a huge majority over Republicans. But because the Democratic Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, and the Speaker of the Assembly, Sheldon Silver, don’t seem to care about the bill, so far it has not passed the Assembly.

Congressional Bill to Require All States to Permit No-Excuse Absentee Voting

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Congresswoman Susan Davis, a Democrat from San Diego, California, has introduced HR 376. All states already permit absentee voting, but 21 states limit absentee voting to voters who can demonstrate, or at least allege, that it is impossible for them to vote at the polls on election day. The bill would require that these absentee vote-by-mail procedures by available to any eligible voter, not just voters that claim they can’t vote at the polls on election day. The bill has 16 co-sponsors, and would only affect federal elections.

Independence Party of New York Virtually Certain to Nominate Adolfo Carrion, Jr., for Mayor of New York City

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New York city elects its mayor and other important city offices on November 5, 2013, in partisan elections. Adolfo Carrion, Jr., former two-term President of the Bronx, and Director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs Policy, and a registered independent, is seeking the Mayor’s office.

On February 16, Carrion was the only candidate for Mayor invited to speak at the annual national conference of IndependentVoting. Leaders of IndependentVoting are also leaders of the New York City Independence Party, and it is clear that leaders of the New York city Independence Party support Carrion for the party’s nomination. Carrion will also seek the nomination of the Republican Party, but it is not yet certain that Republican Party leaders will permit him to enter the Republican mayoral primary. Because he is not a registered Republican, he must get permission from party leaders in order to appear on the Republican primary ballot.

Here is a story about Carrion’s appearance at the IndependentVoting conference. If elected, Carrion will be the first New York city mayor of hispanic origin; he is Puerto Rican.

When Carrion was elected President of the Bronx, he was a registered Democrat. He switched from being a Democrat, to being an independent, on October 12, 2012.

Washington Post Carries Political Science Analysis that Says Gerrymandering of U.S. House Districts Had Little Impact on Number of Seats Won by Each Major Party

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The Washington Post has this interesting analysis of whether gerrymandering is the reason why Republicans won more seats in the U.S. House in November 2012, even though Democratic candidates for U.S. House received more popular votes across the entire nation. Thanks to Rick Hasen for the link.

North Carolina Libertarian Registration Percentage, .31%, is Higher Than Any Previous Third Party in North Carolina

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The latest North Carolina registration tally, for February 16, 2013, shows that Libertarian registration is .31% of the state total. Although that is not particularly impressive on its face, it is the highest share of statewide registration that any party, other than the Democratic and Republican Parties, has ever had in North Carolina, at least since statistics have been kept. No data exists for years before 1966.

The previous high mark for minor party registration in North Carolina was in October 1972, when the American Party had registration of .30%. It had been on the ballot continuously since 1968, but it went off the ballot after the 1972 election. It got back on in 1976, but by then had lost all its registrants, because the state forcibly converts all minor party members to independents when the party goes off the ballot, and then the party has to start getting registrants all over again.

The Libertarian Party was on the ballot continuously during the years 1976-1984, but then it went off the ballot for four years, so lost all its registrants. It was also on the ballot continuously 1996-2004, and by October 2004 had registration of .23%, but then it went off the ballot so its total was again reduced to zero. It has been on continuously starting in 2008, and its registration has been rising ever since.

The February 16, 2013 tally shows that both major parties have declined since October 2012. The October 2012 percentages were: Democratic 43.17%, Republican 30.86%, Libertarian .29%, independent 25.67%. The new tally percentages are: Democratic 43.12%, Republican 30.82%, Libertarian .31%, independent 25.75%. Thanks to Ray Ubinger for the news about the new tally.