Nicholas Goldberg, an associate editor of the Los Angeles Times, has this analysis of California’s top-two system. The piece quotes three political scientists. Two of them believe it has been beneficial, and one of them does not. Ironically, all three of these political scientists expressed these opinions twelve years ago when the system was passed by the voters.

The article is balanced, but fails to mention the biggest impact that the California and Washington top-two systems has produced: a complete elimination of minor party candidates on the general election ballot, except in races in which one of the major parties doesn’t run anyone. Thanks to Eric Wong for the link. The piece has been published in many newspapers besides just the Los Angeles Times.

On May 17, the Alaska House passed SB 161 by a vote of 37-2. It eases the definition of a qualified political party, from a group with registration equal to 3% of the last vote cast (approximately 11,000 members) to exactly 5,000 registered members. Assuming the Governor signs the bill, the immediate effect will be to restore the Libertarian Party’s qualified status. Obviously it will also make it easier for the Green Party to regain its status. The Green Party now has 1,490 registrants, but back in October 2002 it had 4,789.

The two representatives who voted “no” are George Rauscher and Sarah Vance, both Republicans.

This article says that Alaska Democrats worry that in the June11 primary for U.S. House, no Democrat will place in the first four slots. The law, passed by the voters in November 2020 and being used for the first time next month, says the top four primary candidates are the only ones that can get on the general election ballot. Polls are suggesting that Republican Nick Begich and Sarah Palin, and independent Al Gross, will be in the top four. The fourth-place finisher is tough to predict, but independent candidate Santa Claus has a miniscule lead.